The Shepherd Family Future
by Maxcs
Summary: Sequel to the Fourth Shepherd Sister, Derek and Lauren Shepherd have the lives they always dreamed of. Life of course comes with a little heartache, navy scrubs for a few new Attendings and a surprise visitor.
1. Chapter 1

"Why do you always order Beijing Beef when you hate broccoli?" Alex laughed as he unpacked the Chinese takeaway boxes onto the coffee table. It was the night before their wedding and they were eating Chinese food on the couch. Neither of them wanted bachelor or bachelorette parties but to spend their last night as single people with each other.

"I like it and you're always here to eat my broccoli for me" she smirked and sat down handing him a glass of wine "It's like a match made in Chinese takeaway heaven"

"Mushy much?" he chuckled "Save it for your vows tomorrow"

"Who says I've got anything mushy in my vows?"

"As long as you don't have the words 'Chinese takeaway' in them I really don't care"

"Now I have to re-write them..." she laughed only to be interrupted by the doorbell. Getting up, she grabbed an egg roll before making her way to the door.

"Hundred bucks it's your Mom...again" Alex chuckled thinking Carolyn was coming to see them for the fifth time that day. She was putting together the final touches for the wedding and needed an opinion on everything even though both Alex and Lauren trusted her decisions. They never wanted anything fancy but Carolyn insisted on something a little bit bigger than they ever expected.

"Pay up buddy" Lauren smirked as she looked through the peephole and saw her sisters and hospital friends at the door carrying bottles of champagne and wearing party hats "Pay up big time, I'm scared what is going to happen" she laughed and opened the door.

"Get out Dr Handsome" Amelia demanded as she pushed her way inside followed by Nancy, Kathleen, Meredith, Cristina, Teddy, Callie, Bailey, Lexie and April all carrying the fixings for a Bachelorette Party.

"Excuse me? You're kicking me out of my own apartment?"

"Yes"

"The boys are on their way up to get rid of him so we can have some fun" Nancy giggled. Lauren looked at Amelia who did the hand actions to explain Nancy had a few champagne's before they got there. Sure enough Derek, Mark, Owen, Avery, Eric and Michael turned up at the door wanting to take Alex away.

Lauren dodged her sister and followed Alex out to the hallway warily. Mark and Owen quickly took him away but Lauren caught her brother's arm roughly "Do not get him drunk tonight. I'd like him standing up straight at the altar please"

"I will look after him"

"That goes for you too. You need to walk in a straight line when you're walking me down the aisle"

"I got it covered" Derek chuckled "Have fun with the girls..."

"I hate you Derek" she yelled out as he walked down the stairs to join the other guys.

"I love you too little sister!" he yelled back with a laugh. Lauren closed the door and turned to the party anxiously. She was worried about what Amelia had planned. Remembering back to Nancy and Kathleen's bachelorette parties, they were hung-over for three days afterward.

XXXXX

Lauren straightened Alex's white tie and fixed his boutonniere with a smile. This whole wedding was actually happening and her Mom was there to see it. Lauren had her hair and makeup done so all she had to do was get dressed. She wanted to see Alex quickly before she did though one last time before they got married.

"Perfect" she smiled and stepped back looking at her fiancé up and down. He looked so handsome all dressed up in his black suit and white shirt and tie.

"I could say the same for you. How's the hangover?"

"I didn't drink anymore than a glass of champagne I'll have you know" Lauren laughed "I did however have to stop by the hospital this morning to give Amelia, Nancy and Callie all banana bags. I just hope there's enough makeup to cover the damage they did"

"Don't worry, we had to put Avery to bed early last night so he would be ok for today. This is why we didn't want parties"

"Yeah try telling that to my brother and sisters"

"Try telling me what?" Derek chuckled leaning on the door frame. He'd been watching Lauren and Alex for a minute with a smile. He was glad to see Lauren so happy after years of her sitting backseat Nancy, Kathleen and his own weddings. "Kathleen has been looking for you Lauren. You have to get dressed not that I object to your current outfit. It's a good look" he laughed.

Lauren looked down at her shorts and the dress shirt of Alex's she'd stolen and rolled the sleeves up on. It was comfortable which was all that mattered before getting into a dress that cut off her circulation and breathing. She kissed Alex softly for the last time before the wedding.

"I'll see you in there" he smiled

"I'll be the one in the white dress" Lauren smiled before leaving the room. Skipping off, she left Derek with Alex while she found her sisters. While Amelia was Lauren's only bridesmaid, Nancy and Kathleen were helping them both get dressed and ready. With her grandmother's diamond earrings as her something old, her engagement as her something new, Kathleen's bracelet from her own wedding as Lauren's something borrowed and the orchids in her hair were her something blue, Lauren was surprisingly calm as she got ready.

"Wow, you look beautiful" Derek smiled as Lauren walked out of the dressing room of the church behind Amelia ready for the ceremony.

"Oh thankyou Derek" Amelia laughed knowing that he was talking about Lauren. She'd take the compliment anyway "Of course you were talking to Lauren" she sighed jokingly

"Thankyou" Lauren smiled and kissed Derek's cheek softly before wiping the lip gloss off his cheek "Sorry"

"Dad would have loved to have been here to walk you down the aisle" he smiled sadly. They all wished their father could have been there for any of their weddings. It was still hard to have all these happy occasions without him.

"If I couldn't have him then I'm glad you're here"

"Can we have the sentimental stuff for the reception please? Let's get this show on the road" Amelia laughed getting excited to actually get this ceremony started. She'd never been a bridesmaid before so this was her big moment.

"Don't worry Amy, it's not like _I'm _the one getting married" Lauren laughed and made sure her niece Emily and nephew Conner were ready as flower girl and ring bearer before standing beside her brother and taking his hand "I guess this is showtime"

"Are you ready for this?" he asked warily. When Lauren was anxious, it didn't always show obviously on her face and now was no different.

"I'm ready" she smiled as the doors of the church opened revealing the small, intimate gathering of their family and friends. Alex stood at the other side of the church smiling back at her.

XXXXX

Lauren held Alex close as they swayed gently back and forth to the string quartet playing for the reception. Still coming down from the high that was the ceremony, Lauren couldn't tear herself away from the arms of her husband. She was still getting used to that term 'husband'. The night was coming to an end and everything had just been so perfect. Derek gave a beautiful speech at the reception which their Mom cried the entire way through and Amelia limited herself to one glass of champagne to avoid the need for another banana bag.

"Just tell tell her" Meredith insisted to Derek as they pretended to dance just to get closer to Lauren and Alex on the dance floor.

"I don't want to tell her it will just ruin the whole day" he sighed not realising that both Lauren and Alex could hear their conversation. Smiling silently to each other, they were both intrigued as to what was going on.

"You have to tell her..."

"I'm trying to dance with my husband here, spit it out or go sit down" Lauren sung with a laugh as she and Alex spun around to face Meredith and Derek "What's going on?"

"There's been a bus crash" Derek sighed softly wishing that this hadn't happened today of all days "we've all been paged to the hospital"

"That's ok. Go Derek, they need you..."

"It was a bus full of kids..."

"Oh" she nodded weakly. The whole day had been so perfect; something had to happen to bring them all back to reality. She turned to Alex who simply nodded and loosened his tie. If she went then he did too. It wasn't the way he'd imagined they would be spending their first night as husband and wife but saving kids' lives was their life too.

"Give us ten minutes and we'll be there" Alex chuckled and kissed Lauren softly once Meredith and Derek had walked away "Would we have it any other way?"

"No probably not" she laughed "I'm so going to make this up to you tonight again and again and again..."

"I'll hold you to that I hope you know"

"I'm sorry, I really am"

"You didn't crash the bus. Come on, we have some kids to save"

**Thoughts? Do you like the first chapter of the sequel? I promise another surprise in the next chapter (you've all been asking for it so I doubt it will be much of a surprise)**


	2. Chapter 2

"What the hell are you two doing here?" Richard sighed as Lauren and Alex walked through to the ER fixing their pagers to their scrubs. Lauren still had her hair and makeup all done up from the wedding which looked a little strange with her scrubs but she didn't have time to fix it.

"A bus full of kids crashes and you expect me to stay at my wedding reception?" Lauren laughed and took a clipboard from a passing nurse that outlined a lot of the injuries they were getting.

"Yes!" Richard answered quickly "We have plenty of people to handle this"

"Most of which were at my wedding" she chuckled "This is too much for one Paeds surgeon to handle and your head of department not to mention the best Paeds resident you've got were only ten minutes away"

"At your wedding..."

"We're well aware of that Richard thankyou"

"Go home" he insisted

"And let these kids die?" Lauren snapped back "Thank you for your concern but we really need to meet these ambulances" she smiled and headed out to the ambulance bay. Following his new wife, Alex couldn't help but look back at a confounded Dr Webber.

"Are you sure you're ok with this? It is our wedding night. Someone else can do this..." Alex asked as he stood beside Lauren waiting for the ambulances.

"Do you want to go back?"

"And get back into that tux? Do you know how many pieces there are to that thing?" he laughed nudging her gently "We're going to be married to this job our whole lives aren't we?"

"No" Lauren smiled "Eventually we'll grow apart from surgery and get an easy divorce. We'll still be surgeons; we'll just train new people, cut down on our workloads and enjoy some time to ourselves"

"So we might actually get some time to settle down and get to spend a night together without a bus full of kids crashing?"

"Someday..."

"But for now?"

"But for now the ambulances are waiting" she chuckled and opened the ambulance door as it came to a halt outside the ER. Pulling the gurney from the truck she listened as the paramedic rhymed off the child's name and injuries. "Alex, do a complete workup and get him into surgery. Page me if you need a hand otherwise let me know how it goes when you're done, I'll take the next kid"

"Wait" he gasped and stopped the gurney before it was rolled into the ER "I'm going solo?"

"Consider it a wedding present" Lauren smiled and hit the back of the ambulance once she'd shut the doors to signify that it was ok for them to go. "Go before the kid crashes"

"Going..."

"You're welcome" she shouted out after him with a laugh

"Thank you!"

"What have you got Reggie?" Lauren asked as Reggie jumped out of the next ambulance and started pulling a gurney out. On the gurney was a mother clutching her crying child

"Nathan Miller, eight year old, compound fractures to both arms and possibly ribs"

"Possibly ribs?"

"He has trouble breathing but Mom refuses to let him go or tell me any of her details only Nathan's" Reggie shrugged and got a quick glare from the mother "Mom's pregnant but insists she's fine but I'd get a consult anyway"

"I am fine, you just have to treat Nathan" the mother insisted

"Mrs Miller, you have to let Nathan go so we can treat him" Lauren insisted as she rolled the gurney into the ER. Taking them into a trauma room, she caught an intern and asked them to page Addison Montgomery. Knowing that there were more than capable OB/GYN Attendings upstairs but considering Addison was there for the wedding, there was no harm in paging her. She was incredibly persuasive when she wanted to be. "Mrs Miller please I just want to treat your son and make sure he's ok"

"I only want the Head doctor treating my son"

"I am the Head of Paediatric Surgery so please can I take Nathan for some tests. I need to know if he needs surgery"

"Surgery?" Mrs Miller shrieked loudly and clutched her son tighter only causing him to cry louder. Lauren sighed loudly trying to think of a way to get this mother to give her child over until she spotted Addison and Sam through the window of the trauma room. Calling them both in, Lauren got Addison to talk to the mother while she and Sam pulled Nathan away from his mother and sat him on another bed.

"Mrs Miller we need to get both you and your son down to radiology to run some tests you've both been seriously injured" Addison insisted as she tried to do a workup around Mrs Miller constantly reaching for her son.

"Do you need me in here Lauren?" Sam asked

"No but thanks for your help. If you want to stay and help, Richard will give you OR privileges. He'll give them to you too Addie"

"What a way to end your wedding day huh Lauren?" Addison chuckled and wheeled Mrs Miller out of the trauma room "Keep me updated on the kid so I can keep the Mom somewhat calm"

"Talk to Torres, if these x-rays confirm it he goes to her" Lauren called out after Addison before ordering her intern to take Nathan down to radiology to get x-rays and to report back to her when they came through. Taking the next kid to come through the ER doors, Lauren took the six year old up to surgery.

XXXXX

"My...feet...hurt" Lauren sighed painfully as she collapsed onto her bed and snuggled up to her pillows before Alex fell down next to her.

"My shoulders ache. They always ache after surgery but they're especially sore tonight" Alex complained and pulled Lauren closer so her head was resting on his chest.

"Maybe because you were standing up straight looking incredibly handsome all day at the wedding before you went into surgery for three hours"

"Are you trying to seduce me Mrs Karev?"

"I'm trying but telling you how hot you are is all I can do" she cried softly "I'm too tired to actually act on it"

"How pathetic are we?" Alex sighed softly "We can't even do what is traditionally done on a wedding night"

"We didn't have a traditional wedding day so technically we don't have to do what is traditionally done on a wedding night" Lauren chuckled trying to find some excuse so they didn't seem so pitiable. "Since when do we ever stick to tradition?"

"Exactly. I like the way you think Mrs Karev"

"That's Dr Karev"

"Dr Shepherd-Karev. Now no-one is going to mix you up with me or your brother" Alex chuckled. They'd decided before the wedding that Lauren kept her name as well as taking Alex's. It would make life at the hospital a lot easier now that she wouldn't answer to Dr Shepherd if someone called for Derek.

"Dr Shepherd-Karev is exhausted"

"Goodnight Dr Shepherd-Karev. I love you"

XXXXX

"Derek! Derek get in here!" Meredith called out loudly. An exhausted Derek rushed up the stairs as fast as he could even though it was only half the speed of normal. He didn't know how Lauren and Alex must feel after today if he felt this tired. They did a lot more than he did and all he could think about was sleeping for 12 hours. Following Meredith's voice, Derek walked into the bathroom to see her sitting on the edge of the bath tub holding a pregnancy test. "It's positive Derek, I'm pregnant"

**Thoughts?**

**Yay Meredith is finally pregnant! Should it be a boy or a girl? **


	3. Chapter 3

"I need some help over here!" Reggie yelled out as he carried a small bundle into the ER. Bailey caught up with the paramedic and took the bundle from him "Baby looks about 6 weeks premature. Found in a dumpster"

"Now who would leave a baby in a dumpster" she sighed "I'll get her up to the NICU, thanks Reggie"

"Police will be by to talk to you guys. No sign of the mother just yet"

Nodding in understanding to Reggie, Bailey took the baby through the ER toward the elevator. She asked a nurse to page Lauren to meet her in the NICU as she made her way up. The baby's pulse was weak but it was there.

"My God" Lauren gasped softly as Bailey put the baby down into an incubator and she saw just how young and fragile this young life was.

"Found in a dumpster..."

"How cruel" she sighed and started listening to the baby's heart and lungs "She's in respiratory distress. We have to get her onto a ventilator and run some more tests. She's in a critical state but this little one's a fighter"

"What will happen from there though?" Bailey asked as she helped the NICU nurse set up the ventilator as Lauren continued running her tests "What if the police don't find the mother?"

"We call Child's Services and once she's better she gets put into a foster home"

"Just like that?"

"If the mother doesn't come forward then this little one gets put up for adoption. There's not much more we can do" Lauren shrugged weakly intubating the baby and put her onto the ventilator. Checking her work, she started taking blood once she was happy with the tube placement. "If I could take her home I would..."

XXXXX

**Three Days Later**

"Do you plan on telling anyone else other than Cristina about the baby?" Derek chuckled as he walked into the hospital with Meredith. It had been a week since they found out Meredith was pregnant and Cristina was still the only one Meredith had told. Derek of course had told Lauren and Alex but the rest of the hospital was oblivious to it.

"I will tell people. I just want to make sure that this pregnancy is going to go the distance before I tell the whole hospital"

"Go the distance?"

"I have a hostile uterus Derek" Meredith snapped with a soft laugh "The OB said that the first three months were the most vulnerable for the baby especially in my condition so once I know this baby is going to make it nine months I will shout it from the rooftops" she smiled weakly "Give me a few weeks ok?"

"Ok" he nodded "Does that include waiting to tell my Mom?"

"Especially your Mom. She's the type to knit isn't she?" she asked softly a little scared to know the answer.

"Every one of Nancy and Kathleen's kids had at least six sets of clothes and hats and booties and blankets because my Mom likes to knit"

"Then wait to tell her ok? For me?"

"For you" he chuckled and looked down at his watch "you better go, Chief Resident announcement is this morning"

Meredith grabbed Derek's wrist and checked the time for herself. She was going to be late for Dr Webber's meeting if she didn't hurry. Derek wished her luck as she ran off to change into her scrubs and get to the conference room.

XXXXX

"Where is my resident? I need them to run labs" Mark growled as he threw his chart down onto the nurses' station desk only to notice Derek, Callie, Lauren, Teddy and Owen all staring at the conference room silently "Earth to the navy scrubs, what are you all staring at?" he asked and looked toward the conference room. The shades were closed and there seemed like only one person was moving back and forth inside. Mark still couldn't understand what was happening.

"Chief Resident announcement is happening in there" Owen chuckled. They all had a resident in there so it was an anxious wait to know who was going to be the next Chief Resident. None of them knew who would get the honours but they all had a bet going as to who would win out in the end.

"I thought Webber did it on a piece of paper on the bulletin board. Why the big meeting?"

"Webber doesn't want the five of them ripping each other's heads off in the middle of the hospital" Teddy laughed and looked at Mark who was picturing Meredith, Cristina, Alex, April and Avery in a fist fight over the outcome of Richard's decision. His vision soon eliminated the boys and turned dirty. The others could tell just by the look on his face.

Lauren his Mark's arm with a disgusted laugh "If you're that desperate for a resident take Lexie. I haven't got much work for her today; Bailey's already looking after my preemie baby"

"Is that such a good idea or are you back together?" Derek asked with a laugh

"She still wants me to leave her alone" Mark sighed softly and the other Attendings groaned loudly. None of them wanted to hear this story...again "but if she has to work with me then I might have a shot at getting back together with her"

"Maybe she can stay on my service"

"No Lauren please give her to me, please"

"Let him have Lexie or we won't hear the end of it" Callie insisted and stared down the Paeds surgeon til she gave in.

"Grey is all yours just go already" Lauren laughed "Webber's almost finished"

"So you're all actually betting on who gets Chief Resident?" Mark chuckled and rested back on the desk beside Teddy. "Who are the finalists?"

"Meredith, Cristina and Alex" Teddy answered and held out her hand "Hundred dollar bet, winners split the cash and buy the first round at Joe's tonight"

"What the odds?"

"Two votes each. Bailey cashed in before she went back up to the NICU"

"So essentially I have the deciding vote?"

"Are you in or not?" Lauren sighed softly getting anxious about the decision. Alex had kept her up the night before worrying about this announcement so she just wanted to know and get back to work.

"Can I put $33 on all three?" Mark chuckled but got a foul look from everyone down the line "Alright, alright a hundred on Yang"

"Good choice Sloan" Owen laughed and mirrored Teddy's smug smile. They both had their money on Cristina and were certain she was going to pull through. Derek and Bailey had their money on Meredith while Callie and Lauren had faith in Alex.

Dr Webber finally emerged from the conference room with his hands in his lab coat pockets rather pleased with his decision. It wasn't one the awaiting Attendings would expect. Nodding to them, he would let the new Chief Resident announce the decision and walked off to check on his patients.

"So... Who is Chief Resident?"

**Thoughts? If you were to bet on Chief Resident who would you put your money on? **


	4. Chapter 4

"Pay up" Derek chuckled as he noticed a new lab coat in Meredith's arms with 'Meredith Grey MD, Chief Surgical Resident' stitched above the top pocket. Sighing loudly, Mark, Teddy, Owen, Callie and Lauren all handed their hundred dollars over to Derek. He smirked smugly as he counted the money and divided it so he could give Bailey her share later.

"You guys bet on who would get Chief Resident?" Cristina asked although she was relieved at least Owen and Teddy didn't bet on Meredith. At least she had a chance that they had faith in her.

"You might want to give everyone their money back Derek" Meredith sighed softly and fiddled with the coat in her arms "I passed on Chief Resident"

The Attendings all looked at each other in shock trying to figure out why Meredith would turn something like that down. Being Chief Resident was all the five residents could talk about for the last month. Meredith crossed her arms over her stomach as if to silently explain to Derek why she gave up a position she'd worked so hard to get. She had to make a decision and sacrifices had to be made.

"Then who is Chief Resident?" Mark asked hoping he would get his money back. He wasn't about to lose to Derek over this.

"Me" Alex smiled weakly and stuffed his hands into his scrub pockets. He hated getting Chief Resident this way but Meredith explained to them all in that conference room why she was passing on this opportunity. They all understood her view but Dr Webber asked them to allow Meredith to speak to the Attendings at her discretion. Nothing could be harder for Meredith at that moment than trying to explain her decision.

"The Chief is getting a new jacket made with Alex's name on it to make it official" Meredith added and folded up the coat in her arms. Everyone could see she was uncomfortable and wishing she could just leave.

"We should go start our rounds" Cristina nodded and started pushing Meredith down the corridor. Alex, April and Jackson followed on leaving the Attendings a little shell shocked. Only Derek knew the real reason behind the decision which caused every head to turn to him.

"I guess the money now goes to Lauren and Torres. Congratulations" he shrugged softly and handed the money including his own hundred over to his sister "I have patients to see"

"Derek..." Lauren sighed and stepped toward her brother but Derek shook his head and walked away. He'd talk to her about it later. Callie snatched the money from Lauren's hand and started counting it

"What the hell was all that about?" Mark asked breaking the silence. Teddy, Callie and Owen all wanted to know the same thing but Lauren didn't think it was her place to say.

"Meredith has her reasons..."

"You're just saying that because your husband is the second choice" Mark snapped sourly.

"No I'm saying that because Meredith is my sister-in-law and her reasons to pass on this seems to be none of your business right now Mark so if you'll excuse me I have preemie to check on" Lauren barked and took her share of the money from Callie's outstretched hand and stormed off. She hated how Mark was such a sore and nosey loser. If Meredith or Derek wanted to tell him then it was their choice, she wasn't about to betray that. Lauren stuffed the money into her pocket and made her way up to the NICU to relieve Bailey from preemie duty.

"Y'know she's right" Callie shrugged and picked up her patient's chart. Shaking her head at Mark, she knew he could be a jerk but it still baffled her sometimes "It's none of our business so we should all just go back to work. Maybe you might go run your own labs for once Mark"

"Ouch" Teddy chuckled and joined Callie as she walked toward the elevator. Owen shrugged silently and walked in the opposite direction leaving Mark standing alone.

XXXXX

"How is she?" Alex asked as he came up behind Lauren who was sitting beside the preemie baby's incubator. She had her hand inside with the baby holding firm onto her pinky finger. Putting his hand onto Lauren's shoulder, Alex smiled as she rubbed his arm with her free hand

"She's getting stronger. She couldn't hold my finger yesterday and now she can't let go" Lauren chuckled softly "Plus her stats are getting a lot better. She's not out of the woods though"

"Have the police found the Mom yet?"

"Last night. She's fourteen"

"Fourteen?" Alex gasped softly. He'd been involved in a case with a mother that age when Addison worked in Seattle but it still shocked him when girls had babies so young. "Did she see the baby?"

Lauren shook her head sadly "the on call OB checked her out then she signed all rights to the baby away. She didn't want to know anything about the baby"

"Did you ever find out what possessed the girl to leave the baby in a dumpster?"

"She was scared her Mom would find out, strict religious family" she sighed and took hold of Alex's hand gently "This little girl deserves to go to a good home with good parents, parents that appreciate her"

"Parents like us?" he chuckled and pulled up a chair beside Lauren. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he stared into the incubator at the fragile little baby "When will Child's Services come and take her?"

"Not until I'm happy she's in a normal weight and health range for her age..."

"In time measurements Lauren"

"About a month if all goes well" she sighed softly like she never wanted this little girl to go.

"Can we even adopt her?" Alex asked seriously. He would love to have a family with Lauren but there were so many restrictions on them as doctors applying to adopt a little girl like this one. Lauren looked over at Alex with a hopeful smile as she rested her free hand on his knee.

"I know the adoption system, I can get us considered"

"Only considered?"

"The adoption process is tough. We have to prove that we can provide a strong and stable environment for this little girl" Lauren sighed softly. She had seen so many children go into the adoption system to parents that were just glad to get through the application process. Some new parents looked exhausted before they even got to take their new baby home.

"But we can provide that for her"

"No we can't..." she commented softly and pulled her hand from the incubator gently "We're both full time surgeons. I work more than I should and you just became Chief Resident. We couldn't handle a baby just yet"

"If not now then when? I see you with all these kids and the look in your eye"

"The look? What look?"

"The look that just tells me you'd give anything to take a baby home. You'd love to be a mom, admit it" Alex chuckled and pulled his wife closer.

"I would love to be a mother but it's not the right time for us. Maybe when you finish your fellowship..."

"You would wait three years?"

"I would wait a lifetime but maybe we don't have to wait til your fellowship is over. I'm sure as your superior I could work some things out"

"But what about this little girl?" Alex sighed and put his hand into the incubator. The little girl found his finger and held on tight. A big believer in babies being able to sense their surroundings, Lauren thought that baby just wanted someone there for them.

"She will be welcomed into a loving family but until she is, we're her family"

**Thoughts?**

**Alex and Lauren would be so cute as parents, yes? Do you think Meredith was right to give up the Chief Resident so she could focus on the baby?**


	5. Chapter 5

"The first trimester is over and the baby is fine, can I call my Mom yet?" Derek asked and ran his hands through his hair. Meredith was up and shuffling around their bedroom while he was enjoying the warmth for just a little longer before he had to get up for work. They barely spoke after Meredith's doctor's appointment the day before because they both got called into surgery so now was Derek's chance.

"You can't keep this from her any longer can you?" Meredith chuckled and sat down next to her husband. Rubbing his bare chest gently, she leant down and kissed him softly "You can call your Mom"

"Thankyou"

"Momma's Boy" she laughed and picked up her bag "I'll see you at work"

Derek waited til Meredith was at the door before stopping her "You know that craniotomy that we have planned for this afternoon? I'm not scrubbing in"

"You're not scrubbing in on your own surgery?"

"It's not my surgery, it's yours"

"My surgery? Seriously?" she gasped "You're letting me do it alone?"

"I'm letting you do it alone. I'll stay in the gallery if you need me" Derek chuckled and sat up "I have faith in you"

"I love you, thank you"

XXXXX

"Ready for your big surgery Grey?" Lauren laughed as she passed Meredith at the nurses' station. Picking up another chart, she noticed the young resident's hands shaking slightly.

"Derek told you?"

"No I saw it was changed on the OR board. You're the first person I've spoken to who isn't a nurse or patient all day. Back to back surgeries"

"I can't wait to have back to back surgeries booked" Meredith chuckled anxiously. Just having one surgery is frightening enough let alone back to back surgeries. Lauren could tell her sister-in-law was nervous and she had every right to be. Remembering what it was like as a resident, Lauren could understand Meredith's anxiety.

"The first one is always the most frightening. They get better, trust me" Lauren chuckled softly "I should get going; I'm watching Alex's own solo surgery" she smiled and took a step back "Good luck"

"I'll need it" Meredith sighed softly with a weak smile and watched Lauren walk away. Never thinking Meredith needed luck, Lauren still hoped all would be well with her surgery before going to the OR herself.

Lauren scrubbed in and waited for Alex but he never showed up to his own surgery. Lauren had scheduled it for him to start his fellowship criteria but he never came. Originally planning to simply watch, Lauren had to start the surgery herself no matter how many times her pages to Alex were ignored. He had been so busy with his duties as Chief Resident that he didn't even bother to cancel his own surgeries.

Alex walked into Lauren's gallery halfway through surgery and watched as Lauren repaired the nine year olds bowel on the table. Looking up and noticing him standing there, Lauren asked her scrub nurse to turn on the intercom system.

"I thought we were in the business of saving children's lives not letting them lie on an operating table when we didn't bother to show up" she snapped angrily and continued to operate.

"I'm sorry I lost track of the time..." he sighed and looked down at his watch. He still needed to prepare for another surgery as well as organise the new intern's rotations for the next week.

"Am I keeping you from something Dr Karev?"

"Lauren..."

"No really, just go" she growled and shook her head. Her anger wasn't just about him missing surgeries but also neglecting to even come home at night. Alex's Chief Resident duties had kept him so late at the hospital that he hadn't even had the time to come home before needing to be back at work. It had been almost a week and Lauren had only seen her husband at work.

"You don't need my help with this?"

"No Alex I do not need _your _help with a surgery I have done countless times. Get out of my gallery"

"Come on Lauren..." Alex sighed softly resting his hand on the glass. Lauren looked down at what she was doing and never looked up again til Alex was gone. Finishing up the surgery, she took her time meticulously closing up and making sure the patient was in the best shape of their nine year life.

Walking out of her OR, Lauren remembered Meredith's surgery and decided to show her support from the gallery. It was the first time all day that she could take a moment to relax. Lauren sat down beside Derek and put her feet up on the window ledge. She would adore a foot rub right then but sadly her masseuse was not in her good books.

"Are you ok Lauren?" Derek asked concerned. Looking across at him, Lauren couldn't understand why he was using that tone. She hadn't spoken to him for almost 24 hours.

"I'm fine... why?"

"Gossiping interns came in after you kicked Alex out of your gallery"

"Which was meant to be his gallery" she sighed and felt the anger slowly rising inside her "Did those chatty little interns mention that Alex neglected to turn up to his own surgery?"

"Indeed they did..."

"You know big brother, you could do me a major favour" Lauren smirked thinking of the best revenge for Alex. Husband or not, Lauren wasn't about to let an aspiring Paediatric surgeon screw her over when it came to surgery. She wasn't about to put the lives of her kids in danger for anyone. "Let me work with Meredith for the week and you can have Alex. I'll even give her a solo surgery..."

"You want to give a Neuro Resident a Paeds solo surgery?"

"At least I know she'll turn up"

"What is this really about Lauren?" Derek sighed softly and turned to Lauren seriously worried about her

"Let's just say Alex will get a taste of his own medicine" Lauren chuckled

"Is revenge really the answer?"

"Grey hasn't finished her Paeds rotation. It's either now or her fellowship application gets held up" she smirked evilly. Blackmailed always worked on Derek and now seemed no different.

"Meredith is all yours but do I really need to take Alex? He forgets his own surgeries..."

"Welcome to my world"

"You do realise that Alex is your husband now right?" Derek shrugged. Lauren was always the kind to enforce justice especially when she got to dish out a little revenge but Alex was her husband. They shouldn't have such a weak relationship where they can't talk to each other.

"Yes Derek I know he's my husband. I just wish he realised I was his wife because lately I feel like the one night stand..." Lauren sighed and stood up "I have to check that Alex actually remembered his next surgery. My kids aren't going to suffer because of his bad memory"

**Thoughts? Paradise can't last forever...**


	6. Chapter 6

"What the hell?" Alex growled as he furiously flicked through his Resident Schedules and then up at the OR board. Trying to find the changes between the two, he couldn't understand why someone would change it on him. Meredith and Cristina joined Alex at the OR board and watched him slam the Schedule Folder shut.

"What's wrong boss?" Cristina chuckled. Even though it had been three months, Cristina was still a little sore about not getting Chief Resident. She hated having to answer to Alex.

"There has to have been mistake. Meredith and I are working with the wrong Shepherd's"

"Ah no we're not" Meredith sighed softly "I'm working with Lauren this week. I haven't finished my Paeds rotation"

"I had it scheduled for next week. I had us staying in our specialties this week because fellowship applications are starting. Who authorised the change?" he asked still confused

"The Shepherd's did" a nurse informed them as she rubbed off one of Derek's surgeries and replaced it with one of Dr Bailey's. Sadly they lost Derek's patient before they even made it to the OR. Alex was paged but by the time he made it to the room, they had already lost him.

"What do you mean the Shepherd's did?"

"I mean, Dr Lauren Shepherd and Dr Derek Shepherd swapped Residents themselves as of yesterday..."

"Dr Lauren Shepherd-Karev" Alex corrected the nurse who really didn't seem to care "Do you know why they swapped?"

"No" she scoffed and finished writing the details to Lauren's surgery "Maybe try asking them"

"Now that's a novel idea" Cristina laughed before she walked off still chuckling. Alex took her advice and found Lauren up in the oncology ward playing go fish with a few of her patients. The kids waved to Alex but Lauren stayed focused on her game. She knew he'd just figured out the schedule change because he still had his folder in his hand.

"Ah Dr Shepherd-Karev, may I speak with you for a moment?"

"Sorry Dr Karev, we're in the middle of a game" Lauren chuckled and set down another pair of cards she had.

"Not anymore, I win!" little Justin giggled as he counted out his pairs of cards "Sorry Dr S"

"I'll get you next time JJ" she smiled and set down her cards without counting them to prove Justin really did win. "I will challenge you again tonight after your chemo treatment ok?"

"Ok" he nodded as Lauren stood up and made her way out of the thirteen year olds room. Stuffing her hands into her pockets, she looked at Alex as if to say 'well, what do you want?'

"You and Derek swapped Meredith and I?"

"Meredith needs to finish her Paeds rotation..."

"You know I had that scheduled for next week"

"I decided that she needed to finish it this week. I had an appendectomy she could perform solo and a few interesting cases she could observe. It was a good week for her to be on my service" Lauren explained with an innocent smile on her face "And as your bosses, Derek and I didn't think the swap would be a problem"

"You're playing the boss card? Seriously?" he sighed as he started to figure out what was going on "Is this about me forgetting that surgery?"

"You didn't just forget that surgery you ignored several pages and this is about more than that surgery. When was the last time you actually made it home after work?"

"I went home..." Alex began until he realised he had spent the last four nights at the hospital "So it's been a few days"

"A few days too many Alex" she sighed shaking her head. Walking away, she hoped that Alex would follow her but she got all the way to the elevator without Alex trying to stop her. She hoped that purposely cutting off any reason for them to see each other would make Alex realise he missed her. It was going to either work well or fail miserably. Right now she was ready to take that chance. Making her way down to the surgical floor, she caught up with Meredith who had the scans of their next case ready. After reviewing the scans, she told Meredith to do some research while she checked on some other patients. To Meredith, Lauren seemed really down and sad but she walked away before Meredith could ask. Heading into the research library, Meredith was glad to see Derek sitting there looking up some information for his own surgery.

"Hey" he smiled and shut his laptop. Meredith was a fresh distraction from the pains of his research. Looking at the same things over and over again, he was just getting frustrated. "How has your day been going?"

"Oh it's been fun" she laughed sarcastically and sat down beside her husband "Lauren and Alex are exhausting"

"Tell me about it. Does Alex know about Lauren and I swapping you two?"

"Yes..."

"Does he know why?"

"I hope not but he stormed off when he found out about the swap" Meredith chuckled "By Lauren's sad expression right before I came in here, my guess is he knows. What exactly is her intention with this move?"

"I don't know" Derek sighed softly. He wished his little sister was the kind of person who could just talk through her problems but she wasn't. She never had been. Lauren had always been the kind of person to hope people would know what she was thinking through sly hints and situations. Confrontation was never her strong point. "I worry about Lauren..."

"And I worry about Alex. He's not exactly the best one when it comes to relationships. Lauren is the first good person to come into his life. I can't watch him screw it up"

"Do you know how many times I had to pick Lauren up after a guy broke her heart all the way through high school and college? She needs Alex"

"We need to do something..." Meredith insisted as she looked up at Derek "We need to do something drastic"

"Agreed but what? Alex is too busy and Lauren is just stubborn"

"We need to get them in the same room together and lock them in"

"Oh yeah because imprisonment is a great idea" Derek chuckled "They're both very talented with a scalpel. They could kill each other and make it look like an accident"

"True..."

"Keeping with the room idea for a moment, how about dinner? We set up something romantic in their apartment. I have a spare key..." he suggested with a smile. What those two needed was just some time together like they had before Alex ever became Chief Resident.

"Now aren't you just a hopeless romantic?" Meredith smiled and leant up kissing Derek softly "Sounds perfect but once that night is over Alex will just go back to being buried under paperwork. He needs help as Chief Resident if he wants to keep his marriage"

"Why does there have to be only one Chief Resident? Why can't there be two? Maybe Cristina could help him...?"

Meredith laughed loudly at the thought of Alex and Cristina working together. They would kill each other in the first minute. Cristina hated working under Alex let alone trying to work with him. "No-one especially not Cristina can work harmoniously with Alex Karev"

"You can..."

"I gave up Chief Resident for this pregnancy. I don't need the extra stress"

"It will hardly be stress and this baby is doing so well. You'll just be lightening Alex's workload a little. By the time you have to take time off, Alex and Lauren will be back to how they used to be"

"Derek..."

"For the sanity of all of us that have to be related to them and who have to work with them? You are Alex's sister-in-law and colleague"

"Alright" Meredith chuckled softly "For our sanity"

"Thankyou" Derek smiled and wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders. Resting the other hand on her stomach, there wasn't much movement but it was a good feeling to know there was a baby in there "Your doctor's appointment is Friday?"

"Yes at 11. Can you arrange your surgeries around that?"

"Of course I can" he chuckled. There was no way he was missing out on any doctor's appointments with this baby. "Will you let me know the sex of the baby this time? Every other appointment has been about the baby's health. Can I please know if we're going to have a boy or a girl?"

"If you're that desperate then we'll find out"

"Do you not want to know?"

"I've just had other things on my mind when it comes to this baby" she shrugged and rested her hands over Derek's. Meredith was still coming to terms with the fact that she was actually pregnant after trying for so long. This was their dream. "It'll be good to know but as long as they're healthy I really don't care"

"You don't have a preference?" Derek asked curiously. Meredith must have thought about whether she would like a boy or a girl. He sure had thought about it.

"Why? Do you?"

"As long as they're healthy I will be fine with whatever gender it is but I think I'd like a little girl... then again I'd like a little boy" he laughed "I don't know really"

"As long as they're healthy right?" Meredith chuckled

**Thoughts? Should Meredith and Derek have a boy or a girl? And will their meddling work?**


	7. Chapter 7

"Everything is ready to go I'll go over there this afternoon and set it all up" Derek chuckled as he leant on the sink while Meredith scrubbed in for her solo appendectomy. It was not brain surgery but it was still a good feeling to have a solo surgery that she wasn't especially familiar with. Meredith fed on the challenge no matter how small it was.

"I hope this works" she chuckled and looked over at Derek "We need this to work"

"Alex spent the night at the hospital again last night didn't he? I thought after he spoke to Lauren that he would at least go home"

"Lauren spent the night up on the oncology ward with one of her kids but Alex doesn't know that"

"They are as stubborn as each other..." he sighed

"Which is why we need this to..." Meredith insisted until she was interrupted by the scrub room door opening. Both Derek and Meredith looked over to see an out of breath Alex standing there.

"Where is she?" Alex asked frantically

"Where is who?"

"Dammit Grey where is my wife" he snapped causing both Meredith and Derek to jump slightly "You're doing her surgery, is she in the OR or in the Gallery?"

"She went home" Meredith informed him quietly "One of her cancer kids, Justin, didn't fair very well after his chemo so Lauren sat up with him all night. She went home to get some sleep before her surgeries this afternoon"

Alex nodded before turning to Derek "I'm going to tell you this now before you page me later and I don't answer the page. I'm going home to my wife and grovel because I am an idiot. I am giving up being Chief Resident and I'm going to do whatever it takes to make the last three months up to Lauren"

"I'm surprised it took you this long to figure that out"

"Derek..." Meredith sighed, shocked that he'd just said that. She'd be more shocked at his next sentence.

"I should have kicked your ass a long time ago for doing this to my little sister" he growled "But you still have a chance to get her back so go"

"Already gone" Alex nodded and raced out of the scrub room. Not even bothering to change out of his scrubs, Alex ran out of the hospital and to his car. Nothing was going to stop him from getting to Lauren and apologising for the crap he's put her through.

"All that planning for nothing?" Derek sighed after a moment of silence "We had organised a romantic night for them and Alex comes to his senses before we even get the chance to set it up? What a waste"

"It wasn't a waste, you'll just have to set it up and we'll make the most of it" Meredith smirked

"Well aren't you just a hopeless romantic"

"I had to learn from someone"

XXXXX

Alex bashed on his apartment door loudly waiting for Lauren to answer. He didn't think it was appropriate to just walk into an apartment he may not even be welcome in. Letting Lauren call the shots, he waited for her to decide to let him in or not. Lauren dawdled to the door slightly annoyed. She'd just gotten to sleep only to be woken by someone bashing on her door. Looking through the peephole, she sighed softly.

"I know you're there Lauren. I heard your footsteps" Alex began softly "I'm sorry for waking you. Mere told me about Justin"

"Alex..."

"Hear me out please" he sighed and heard Lauren lean against the door and slide down to sit against it. Leaning his forehead on the door for a moment, he too sat down against the door "I'm sorry I've been such a jerk. I let the job go to my head and I forgot about you. I took advantage of you and I'm sorry. I'm going to tell Dr Webber that I don't want to be Chief Resident anymore because I need you more that I need some stupid job"

"You're a good Chief Resident" Lauren sighed through the door

"No I suck as a Chief Resident because I have slept at the hospital every night this week. If it means losing you, I never want to be Chief Resident"

Lauren got up from against the door and opened it. Startling Alex, she watched him collapse back onto her feet. He never expected the door to open. "I just miss you Alex"

"I miss you too" he smiled weakly before getting up and facing his wife "I'm sorry"

"I don't know if it's enough" she sighed softly sniffing back tears. Lauren wanted Alex back but after everything he'd done, it wasn't as easy as she thought it would be. He hurt her with every lunch date he missed, with every page he didn't answer and with every night he spent at the hospital.

"I can't even begin to make this up to you but I have to try. Please let me try"

Pulling Alex into a tight hug, Lauren burst into tears. She buried her head in his shoulder and let out all her emotion on Alex. Mixed with her exhaustion from staying up with Justin and the relief of having Alex holding her, Lauren cried til she couldn't anymore. Pulling one arm under Lauren's knees and the other holding onto her back, Alex carried her back to bed and laid her down gently. He laid down next to Lauren and held her til she fell asleep. He wasn't about to leave her and give her another excuse to hate him.

XXXXX

"Karev!" Dr Webber barked as he saw Alex walking along the catwalk toward the Chief's office. With his arms full of charts and folders, Alex had a huge smile on his face. Alex stopped in front of the Chief and handed him all the charts "What is this Karev?"

"I've organised the surgical interns and residents for the next three weeks which will make Yang's life as the new Chief Resident a little easier to begin with" he chuckled and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"You're quitting as Chief Resident? Why?"

"Because I love my wife and if I want her not to divorce my sorry ass, I need to make this sacrifice for her"

Dr Webber nodded with an understanding expression on his face "You're a stronger man that I could ever be Karev"

"Trust me when I say that I'm really not. It took me way too long to realise what I needed to do" Alex sighed "Sorry to quit so suddenly but I know Cristina will make up for it. She can handle it better than I could" he nodded and walked away from the Chief. Feeling like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, Alex knew it was the right decision.

**Thoughts? Meredith was never going to have to help Alex but the offer was always nice. I would never jeopardise the baby like that. Alex is a good man for finally choosing Lauren**


	8. Chapter 8

**Five Months Later**

Derek, Lauren, Teddy, Owen and Bailey were all summoned to Chief Webber's office as soon as their shifts started early one morning. They all had surgeries to get to but when the Chief calls you answer.

"Who's in trouble?" Derek chuckled as all the Attendings gathered looked at each other. Their residents including a heavily pregnant Meredith who had been ordered to stay home til the baby was born only the day before were all gathered on the catwalk outside the Chief's office waiting to find out what was going on. They all thought someone was in trouble too.

"No-one is in trouble. I called you all in here this morning because your residents must submit their fellowship applications within the week and you need to sign every relevant document" Dr Webber began "I don't need paperwork held up because the five of you didn't go through the applications with a fine tooth comb. It's not often that we have five fellowships in the same year"

"Don't tell the residents that, they'll think they're special" Teddy chuckled and nudged Lauren who was laughing softly beside her. Dr Webber glared at them seriously and they both quietened down like they were school girls in the principal's office.

"This is a unique occurrence which is why I need you all to be thorough. It's going to put Seattle Grace Mercy West back on the map for something good" The Chief growled softly "I have checked all their progress and their practical components are complete it is just the paperwork that needs to be finalised. You five are what will be in the way of these applications being processed"

"No pressure or anything" Derek chuckled

"What is with the five of you this morning? It's like you're all seventeen again"

"No disrespect sir" Bailey began cautiously. She always seemed to start with that sentence hen she spoke to the Chief "But we've all got surgeries we need to get to and we know what needs to be done with these applications. We all had to go through this process with our own fellowships"

"Ok then" he sighed softly and leant back on his desk. He never wanted to argue with bailey with all people but she was right. They did know all this and he was harping on the issue far too much "You can go..." The five Attendings began to leave before Dr Webber quickly stopped them "Except the Shepherds"

"Sucker" Teddy laughed at Lauren before following Owen and Bailey out of the Chief's office.

"I just wanted to remind you Derek that Dr Nelson must also sign off on Meredith's application because she is your wife. The Board just like to cover their backsides on any possible claims of bias"

"Already got it sorted" he chuckled "Can I go now?"

Dr Webber nodded before Derek nudged Lauren playfully and walked out with a sly smile. Shuffling her feet, Lauren waited for the Chief to tell her why she was the last man standing. She could see Alex, Derek and Meredith out on the catwalk waiting for the answer themselves.

"You too need a second signature on Alex's application papers but there is a problem. There is no other Paediatrics Attending available at the moment to do so"

"I've got that under control. My second signature lands tonight. I only have one surgery today so I can take my sister-in-law shopping for baby clothes then I go get my mystery surgeon from the airport" she chuckled softly secretly jumping for joy about her oldest friend coming to town.

"May I ask who this second signature is?"

"You'll see. They're coming back especially to help me on a sextuplets case"

"You have a mother pregnant with sextuplets?"

"No" Lauren chuckled "The sextuplets are six years old. I helped deliver them back in New York before I moved to London. And you thought five fellowships would boost the hospitals image. I can go one better"

"You're really not going to tell me who this mystery surgeon is?" Dr Webber asked as Lauren half skipped to the door "Don't you think I should know who is coming into my hospital"

"Let's just say you're going to enjoy their presence" she smirked and continued her half skip as she made her way out to Alex, Derek and Meredith.

"There's something wrong with my application isn't there?" Alex sighed softly, not taking notice of Lauren's excited smile. She'd had that look on her face since she got a call from the mother of the sextuplets so he ignored the smile.

"There is nothing wrong with your application. I just need a second signature on your papers like Derek needs Shadow Shepherd to sign Meredith's" she smiled, taking her husband's hand trying to reassure him that everything was ok.

"That is not good news..." Derek pointed out confused "There is no-one to sign Alex's papers"

"Oh great" Alex cried softly and let Lauren's hand go as he started pacing the width of the catwalk. Running his hands through his hair, all his fears ran through his mind. His career was coming to a fast ending if he didn't have another surgeon sign off on his application. Paeds was a tough specialty and it was now or never for him.

Lauren glared at her brother before stopping Alex mid pace "Calm down. I have another surgeon coming in to sign your papers as well as helping me on my sextuplet's case. I've got it all covered"

"You do?"

"I do" she smiled "but for now I have a surgery then Meredith and I are going shopping"

"Lauren is who you're going shopping with?" Derek asked. He knew Meredith was spending the day shopping for the last of the things they needed before the baby was born but he didn't know it was with his sister. Even though Lauren had been in Seattle for almost a year, it was still strange to see her getting along so well with Meredith. He just needed Amelia, Kathleen and Nancy to turn up and take his wife shopping for his hell to be a reality.

"Yes and you can't argue about anything Meredith brings home because she's not paying for any of it"

"Lauren..." Meredith sighed with a smile. She was honoured to think Lauren wanted to buy so much for them but it wasn't necessary.

"You can't argue with me either"

"She's in a good mood, go with it" Alex laughed still not knowing who this mystery person was that had put his wife in such a good mood. Lauren wouldn't even tell him who it was "Are you sure I don't need to worry about this application?"

"I'm positive now why don't you go prep my patient for surgery and I might even let you hold a retractor" she smirked and started to walk backwards away from her family "I have to check that my mystery surgeon got on their connecting flight and I will meet you in the OR. Meredith, I will see you after surgery"

"Nothing for me?" Derek chuckled jokingly

"I guess you can have an opinion about what colour I buy today. Considering Meredith is going to have a girl do you prefer pink, purple or the ever mellow yellow?"

**Thoughts? Derek and Meredith are having a girl! I think I have a name but I'd love your suggestions. **

**I had this chapter written pretty quickly so I thought I'd update as fast**


	9. Chapter 9

Lauren pulled her jacket tight around her body as she waited for her mystery surgeon to walk out of the gate at Seattle Airport. It was another cold and rainy day but it would be a nice change for her guest who'd spent almost two years in the middle of the African desert.

"Lauren!" Arizona squealed as she raced from the gate straight to Lauren

"Arizona" Lauren smiled and pulled her old friend into an excited hug. The pair hadn't seen each other in three and a half years which was a long time for two people who were attached at the hip for most of their residencies. Arizona was one of the few people Lauren had told about moving to London so before she took the job in one cold and rainy city, she visited another just to see her old friend.

"It's so good to see you, you look great. You're glowing with married happiness" Arizona giggled as she stepped back looking at Lauren up and down. Taking her hand, Arizona made Lauren twirl around like a little girl so she could get a good look.

"I've been married for eight months; I think the glow has worn off"

"And I am so sorry I missed your wedding. I feel so bad..."

"Don't even worry about it as long as you stay long enough to see my baby"

"You're pregnant?" Arizona gasped loudly and her hands immediately flew to Lauren's stomach. Not really wanting kids of her own, she still loved when other people had babies.

"No, no I'm not pregnant" Lauren laughed and took her friend's hands off her stomach "But Alex and I are starting to try. Now that you're back and he's going to be an Attending, I can take some time off if I do get pregnant"

"When you get pregnant" Arizona corrected as she picked up her bag and tried to take the bag that Lauren had picked up. The pair started to walk out of the airport towards Lauren's car. Arizona wasn't even game to see Callie just yet so Lauren insisted she stayed with her. "I forgot I'd be working for you. This will be interesting..."

"For once, I'm the boss instead of looking up at 'Miss Top of the Class' like I used to at Johns Hopkins"

"I wasn't always on top..."

"You were top of your class at college, med school, you were Chief Resident and I had to go to New York Pres just to get a fellowship"

"Why didn't you hate me?" Arizona laughed "You were so nice to me when you should have hated me"

"How can I hate someone who wears a pink scrub cap and sneakers with wheels?"

"Says the woman who wears sneakers that light up"

"Hey!" Lauren chuckled as they got to her car "Mine are cool"

"Yours are... lame!

"Who is your boss Arizona?"

"I still don't like your sneakers"

XXXXX

Meredith folded another purple coverall and laid it on the ever growing pile. Sitting on the couch, she was surrounded by piles of coveralls, knitted clothing sent over from New York and blankets. Lauren hadn't bought all of the stuff sitting around Meredith but she had contributed quite a lot. Buying hundred of diapers, baby wipes and even clothes for when her niece was a little bigger, Lauren had so much fun shopping with Meredith the day before.

Cristina sat on the couch across from her best friend holding a bright orange elephant stuffed toy Lauren had bought. She had the morning off so Derek asked her to keep Meredith company. One day away from the hospital and Meredith was going crazy already. Without work she had time to think about the baby and what would happen when the next month came to an end.

"You better hope your next kid is a girl or a really feminine boy or you're just screwed" Cristina chuckled as she looked around at all the pink, purple and white.

"I'll just hand them all down to you when you have a baby" Meredith smirked knowing just the thought of having a baby scared Cristina more than death. There was no way she'd have children especially after what her own mother was like.

"Not gonna happen. Give them to Torres; she's obsessed with having a baby isn't she?"

"I just can't believe how much is here. Will a baby really wear all this?"

"Ah...yeah. Did you not read any of the books Derek seems to have all around this house and the hospital? Did you know Derek had an intern read to him in surgery the other day?" Cristina sighed lightly "Can't he just ask his sisters? Isn't one a gynaecologist and the other's a Paediatrician? You two have it made with just his family"

"I'm not used to having a family like this. Lauren has just been so great telling us what we should and shouldn't do"

"Embrace it"

"Embrace what?" Alex asked hearing the last of the conversation as he let himself into the house and found his friends in the living room. Meredith looked at him as if to say 'how the hell did you get into my house' before she realised Cristina was the last one in so of course the door was unlocked.

"What are you doing here Munchkin King?" Cristina laughed as Alex flopped down onto the couch next to her. Stealing the orange elephant, he played with its little trunk as he pouted.

"What's wrong Alex?"

"It's like a freaking oestrogen fest at my house"

"That's what you get when you marry a woman Alex..." Cristina mocked and snatched the elephant back "You could have married a man..."

"Shutup Yang" he snapped "It's Lauren and Robbins. They're like a pair of school girls. They sat up all night talking, I got no sleep"

"Clearly" Meredith laughed at Alex's bad mood "Wait, Robbins is back?"

"She's the Paeds surgeon Lauren called in for her sextuplet's case"

"Why aren't you at home sleeping? You have the morning off too..."

"Lauren's at the hospital but Robbins was still at the apartment when I left. She's staying with us til she plucks up the courage to talk to Torres" he sighed "Now I know what Derek and Owen put up with when you two are together"

"Now that's just mean" Meredith laughed "You've know us since the start, you should be used to it"

"I am which is a little scary. Lauren and Robbins are worse"

"No-one can be worse than us" Cristina insisted like it was some competition to be the most annoying pair at Seattle Grace.

"You haven't seen these two together. They're exhausting" he sighed and relaxed back into the couch and closed his eyes "I'm tired"

"You work in a hospital full of beds. Go use one"

XXXXX

Teddy walked into Callie's OR Gallery carrying two sandwiches and sat down beside a cross legged Lauren who looked deep in thought. Holding a sandwich out in front of Lauren, Teddy waited til she took it. Teddy and Lauren had become great friends and took it in turns getting lunch in between surgeries no matter how late in the day.

"So I think I just saw Robbins walking out of the Chief's office. She's still in Africa though, isn't she?" Teddy asked as she opened her cafeteria sandwich. Lauren simply shook her head and played with the packaging on her own lunch "So it was Arizona? She's back?" Lauren nodded and looked over at a shocked Teddy "Does Callie know?" Teddy asked and looked down into the OR. Lauren shook her head again as she opened up her sandwich. "Do you really think that's wise? Not telling Callie that she's here?"

"Probably not but I need Arizona's help on a delicate case and she'd planned to come back anyway, I just gave her another reason to get on that plane" Lauren shrugged and looked over at Teddy "I know I may have just started World War Three but you and I both know that those two need to talk to each other"

"True..."

"Tell me bringing Arizona home was the right decision"

"Will she be helping you with your sextuplets?" Teddy asked

"Yes"

"Will she be signing Alex's fellowship application?"

"Yes"

"Will she be coming out with us tonight to Joe's for a drink?"

"Definitely" Lauren laughed and loved how Teddy could make her feel better about this even if they need alcohol to soften the blow that would be Callie's explosion.

**Thoughts? Arizona's back! I kinda love how Teddy and Lauren are friends. They need each other.**


	10. Chapter 10

"You just left for Africa and never looked back!"

"I did not just walk away Calliope! I had a job to do, I had the Carter Madison grant"

"Well I hope you had fun curing every little African child you could find"

"I didn't enjoy it because I missed you every second of everyday"

"Then why did it take you so long to come back? It's been almost nine months"

"I wanted to come home the second I stepped foot in Africa but I needed to help those kids. I couldn't just walk away from them"

"At least that's one thing; you didn't bail on them like you did with me"

XXXXX

"You caused this" Mark sighed as she stood beside Lauren at the nurses' station. Lauren and Teddy had already been listening to Callie and Arizona scream at each other for the last ten minutes before Mark joined them. As soon as Callie had come out of surgery, the news of Arizona's arrival got to her and all hell broke loose. Finding her ex-girlfriend in the conference room, Callie slammed the door and confronted Arizona.

"Do you think I like having these two scream at each other? Arizona is staying with me; I'll hear it all night" Lauren snapped lightly and crossed her arms "I thought they would at least be civil"

"You really don't know Torres then" Teddy chuckled nudging Lauren jokingly "Neither Callie or Arizona are quite as placid as you and I"

"It's a lesbian thing" Mark piped up. Lauren and Teddy stared at him in shock at his comment. That was a little discriminatory but coming from Mark it would have been a joke. "If I get no sleep because Torres rants all night, you will pay Lauren Shepherd"

"Trust me; I'll be feeling your pain"

"Oh I doubt it. Robbins isn't as bad as Callie"

The three Attendings continued to listen in on Callie and Arizona's argument. They could have been across the hospital and still have heard them they were screaming so loud. Mark wasn't wrong about Callie overdramatising everything.

"Lauren?" Alex asked as he walked up to where Lauren, Mark and Teddy were standing "Your sextuplets have just been admitted"

"Time to break up World War Three" she chuckled and took the chart from Alex. Taking a deep breath, she looked back at Mark and Teddy before making her way to the door of the conference room. Knocking softly, there was no change in the volume of the yelling so she had to knock once again.

"What?" Callie snapped once she opened the door. Sighing loudly, Lauren wasn't exactly in her good books at that moment.

"The sextuplets just came in"

"Ok" Arizona nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes as she picked up her lab coat. Following Lauren to the door, she looked back at Callie who didn't seem to care anymore.

Lauren gave Mark a look as if to say 'talk to Callie NOW!' before joining Alex as they walked toward the elevator. The three Paeds surgeons were silent until they stepped into the elevator. Arizona burst into tears and collapsed into Lauren who simply wrapped her arms around her friend. Pulling the emergency stop button, Alex watched his wife hold Arizona til she had calmed down.

Arizona straightened up and wiped her face once again. Alex pushed the emergency stop button and braced himself as the elevator jerked back into movement. Rubbing Arizona's shoulder, Lauren silently reassured her that everything would be ok.

"Thank you. Both of you" Arizona smiled weakly

"Let's just be thankful none of these kids have orthopaedic problems" Alex chuckled trying to lighten the mood. Hitting her husband with the chart in her hand, Lauren couldn't help but laugh softly.

"Good call Karev"

"I know"

"Still as arrogant as the day we met Alex" Arizona laughed as the elevator door opened to their Paeds floor and they walked to the large room where their six little patients were waiting.

"Arizona, Lauren" Olivia Jameson gasped and pulled the two Attendings into a tight hug. Returning the hug, they weren't as happy to see the mother of six as she was to see them. "I can't believe you two came together again just for us"

"Why wouldn't we? We successfully delivered these gorgeous children, we're going to see them grow up" Arizona smiled and saw the two girls and four boys sitting on the hospital bed in front of them. The six year olds all had beautiful blonde hair and were dressed in their mother's favourite colour, red. Olivia had been dressing them in red since the day they were born.

"This cannot be the famous Jameson sextuplets" Lauren chuckled and made her way over to the bed and looked at how much they had grown since the last photo Olivia had sent. Every year on their birthday, Olivia and Matt took a photo of their sextuplets and sent copies to Arizona, Lauren, Addison and the nurses that helped in the delivery. It was a miracle that all six babies, premature by 4 weeks, were all healthy at birth. The two girls both wore glasses but their parents never considered that an illness. Lauren kept her photos of the sextuplets I her locker no matter which hospital she was working in to remind her of the little miracles in life.

"Olivia, Matt this is Dr Alex Karev, he will be assisting Lauren and I on your daughters' cases" Arizona smiled as she noticed Alex's confused expression. He was doing his best just trying to figure out which sextuplet was which. Standing beside him, she watched him look down at the chart and back up at the children.

"It's nice to meet you" Matt smiled and shook Alex's hand. They needed all the help they could get to get through this. Lauren took the chart from Alex once she saw Matt's face and snapped back to reality. It broke her heart to see the parents of six children who were miraculously born healthy but were now sick. "Our doctor back in New York says the girls have Autosom...Polycyst... I can't pronounce it"

"Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease" Lauren helped him as she opened the chart "It means there are cysts forming in their kidneys and it is causing scarring on the liver"

XXXXX

"You're doing a domino transplant on these kids?" Alex asked Lauren and Arizona after they had explained to the Jameson family what needed to be done to help their children. Their two girls were very sick and needed the help of their four brothers to survive. Both girls needed a kidney and liver transplant and would get these organs from their brothers. Two would donate a kidney and two would donate portions of their liver's.

"In a way it is a domino surgery" Arizona chuckled and started writing up her notes on the case. It was a good feeling to be back in surgery helping save kids lives instead of trying to talk to Callie.

"Would you like to start the receiver surgery while Arizona and I take the donor organs from the brothers?" Lauren asked knowing the opportunity to do this kind of surgery would brighten his attitude.

"You're letting me start the receiver surgery?"

"It pays to sleep with the boss" Arizona giggled nudging Lauren "Don't worry boss, you're not my type"

"Thank God" Alex chuckled

"Jealous much?"

"I love this; my best friend and my husband are fighting over me. I feel so loved" Lauren smirked and took the chart from Arizona was finished writing notes "I have a few kids up in oncology to check on but you two can keep fighting all you like" she laughed and walked away from Alex and Arizona.

"She's my wife. Husband trumps best friend" Alex chuckled turning to Arizona

"I've known her longer..." Arizona rebutted

"I know her better"

"I beg to differ"

"You can't give her sex" he shot quickly and won the fight there and then.

**Thoughts?**


	11. Chapter 11

"Sextuplets surgery day" Arizona sung as she skipped into the kitchen and stole the toast out of a sleepy Lauren's hand. Propping herself up on the kitchen bench, Lauren took a little while to react. The coffee hadn't quite kicked in just yet. "What's wrong with you?"

"I am exhausted" she sighed and took another sip of her coffee. Stretching out her back, Lauren groaned softly as she felt the muscles pull "Alex and I were up half the night listening to you and Callie. What time did she go home?"

Arizona opened her mouth to answer but was cut off by a loud scream in the bathroom. Storming out of the bathroom, Alex hastily fixed the towel around his waist. "There is a naked woman in our bathroom and it is not the woman I want to see naked" he growled and stood beside Lauren who peered down the corridor to see Callie's head poking out from behind the bathroom door.

"I am so sorry" Arizona gasped knowing exactly what had happened without looking down the corridor. Callie hadn't exactly left after she turned up late the night before. Their arguments turned from hate to tolerance to love as the hours grew on. There was still some tension between the pair but they realised they couldn't live without each other and needed to work through their problems. All Alex and Lauren heard were their voices fluctuating louder and softer as their conversation progressed.

"I am going to change and go to work" Alex commented in a monotone before walking back to his bedroom. Shooting a glare at Arizona, Lauren silently told her friend how dead she was for this.

"I am so sorry Lauren; I will be out of here today. I think I'll be getting my stuff out of storage and moving back in with Callie soon"

"You are going to let Alex do a lot in these surgeries today to make this up to him" Lauren insisted as she backed out of the kitchen. Arizona agreed to those terms as Lauren made her way back to her bedroom. Shutting the door behind her, she watched Alex pull on his shirt before sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I owe you a lot of sex"

"A lot..."

"At home and in on call rooms"

"You got that right" he chuckled and pulled Lauren down onto the bed next to him

"Arizona is moving back in with Callie soon and until then, she stays with Callie or stays here alone" she assured him as she rested a hand on his knee "I'm sorry"

"You forgave me after my stint as Chief Resident. Robbins is your friend and she can stay as long as she likes but can we please get a sign for the bathroom door or something? I don't want anyone but you walking into the bathroom naked whilst I am naked"

"We will get a sign"

"A big, bright neon sign"

"The brightest sign I can find"

"Ok good" Alex smiled and leant over kissing Lauren softly "Are you going to wait for Robbins or come with me to work?"

"I'm so coming with you" Lauren laughed and stood up "There is no way you're leaving me alone in that awkward situation"

XXXXX

"Derek! Derek!" Meredith called loudly from their bedroom. About to leave, Derek dropped his bag at the door before racing back up the stairs. Derek stopped at the door to see his wife standing over a puddle of water.

"It's time?"

"It's a week too early"

"That's ok, a week is ok" he chuckled and picked up the bag and pillow they had packed for a moment just like this. Keeling over slightly in pain, Meredith moaned softly as she experienced her first contraction "Ok we are going to the hospital. I am calling Lauren and Dr Fields and Lexie and Cristina"

"Derek" Meredith laughed and waddled to the door "Let's just get to the hospital"

Derek nodded eagerly and helped Meredith get down the stairs and out the door. Helping her into the car, Derek quickly raced around to the driver's seat and drove as fast as he could to Seattle Grace. A reluctant Meredith got into the wheelchair once they got to the hospital.

Pushing the chair into the elevator, Derek tapped his feet anxiously. Meredith looked up at him with a laugh. She loved seeing the nervous side of her husband. "Derek, calm down... Please"

"I'm trying..."

"Try harder"

The elevator doors opened to reveal Lauren and Alex on their way up to their first transplant surgery. "Is everything ok?"

"The baby is coming. Mere's contractions are twenty three minutes apart" Derek explained frantically.

"How long have they been twenty three minutes apart?" Lauren chuckled as she noticed Meredith trying to consol Derek.

"Forty six minutes..."

"This may take a while" Lauren laughed and turned to Meredith "This is your first baby so labour may take a few hours"

"I know, try telling him that"

"He'll calm down eventually"

"I'm standing right here" Derek chuckled and watched as both Meredith and Lauren looked up at him with cheeky smiles and chimed in unison 'we know'

"I have two transplant surgeries today but if you need me just page me and I'll come"

"You can't just walk out of a transplant surgery especially this one. I know this is your sextuplet's case" Meredith insisted. Lauren had been splitting her time between researching this transplant case and helping them prepare for the baby's arrival.

"This is my niece and I have to throw Alex into the deep end eventually. He can handle the transplant if need be"

"Seriously? But what about Robbins?" Alex gasped excitedly. He couldn't believe Lauren would give him this opportunity.

"She owes you..."

"Right" he laughed and remembered back to earlier that morning. Derek and Meredith looked at each other confused but brushed it off.

"Just page my cell; I'll even set it to a different ringtone so I'll know before the nurse even reads Derek's frantic message" Lauren laughed and pulled out her cell making sure they saw her changing it just for them "My niece comes first"

"Thank you Lauren"

"I would say anytime but babies only come so often" she chuckled and squeezed Meredith's hand in reassurance before the elevator doors opened. Stepping out of the elevator, Lauren smiled back at her brother and sister-in-law before heading off to surgery with Alex.

"Can you calm down now?" Meredith asked with a smile "Lauren will be there when we need her"

"That does make me feel a little bit better"

"Good" she chuckled "We can do this"

**Thoughts?**


	12. Chapter 12

'_Baby baby, why can't we just say together, yeah yeah yeah. Baby baby, why can't we just stay forever, yeah yeah yeah'_

"What's that noise?" Arizona asked as the song 'Baby Baby' by Corona started blasting through their OR. They were almost finished their second transplant surgery and the music startled Arizona. Lauren immediately looked at Alex and smiled under her mask.

"It's Baby Watch 2011" Lauren laughed and asked the nurse to read the message. Derek had paged twice during her donor surgery about an hour and a half earlier overreacting about Meredith's contractions getting closer in time. Lauren hoped that this one was telling her that her niece was on the way.

"All it says is 'baby now' in capital letters Dr Shepherd-Karev"

"Go" Alex laughed

"Can you handle this Karev?" Arizona asked cautiously. She wanted Lauren to go but if Alex couldn't handle finishing Lauren's side of the transplant. The connection of the valves and arteries on such a small kidney was a difficult task.

"I've got this" he nodded and looked at Lauren, silently insisting she went to be with her family. Lauren smiled before ripping off her mask, gown and gloves and racing from the OR. Racing through the halls, she didn't bother waiting for the elevator and bounded down the stairs two at a time.

"What did I miss?" Lauren gasped as she skidded to a halt at the door of Meredith's room. Dr Fields had Meredith up in the stirrups and was ready to deliver this baby. Derek had annoyed her as much as he'd annoyed his sister through the day. For a doctor, he was a hopeless wreck.

"Ten hours after the first contraction and we're fully dilated" Lucy laughed and looked at Lauren as if to say 'I'm going to kill Derek'. Lauren and Lucy had worked on a few cases together and had become fast friends.

"Ok let's do this" Lauren smiled and pushed her brother up to sit behind his wife like they had practiced. Derek tried to insist Lauren sat behind Meredith until she posed the argument of who would check the baby when it came out. He was not going to win any argument in that room.

Dr Fields started coaching Meredith through the birth as she started to push. Delivering the head, Lucy quickly stopped Meredith from pushing and asked Lauren to take a look at the baby's progress.

"What's wrong?" Meredith asked anxiously as she tried catching her breath. She looked up at Derek frightened.

"Lauren..."

"Meredith" Lauren smiled weakly as she moved to her sister-in-law's side "We're going to need you to pull your knees up to your chest, we have to flatten out your spine, the baby's shoulders aren't delivering"

"What? Not delivering?" she sniffed. Lauren gently guided Meredith's knees up to her chest and made sure Derek held them there. She tried to reassure them that it would be ok but the pair started to freak out. Lucy looked at Lauren and shook her head subtly as if to say 'It's not helping'

"Ok Meredith this is going to hurt but when we tell you to push, Dr Fields is going to guide the baby out while I push down on your belly"

Meredith nodded anxiously at Lauren's instructions. Preparing for what she needed to do, Lauren nodded to Lucy who got herself ready. Lucy counted to three and asked Meredith to push as she pulled and Lauren pressed down. Derek held onto his wife's hands as she screamed through the pain. Successfully getting the baby's shoulder out, Lucy asked for one last push before the baby was fully delivered.

Lauren cut the umbilical cord and quickly took the baby to examine. There was possibility of the baby losing function in her arm because of the birth complication but Lauren prayed for nothing to be wrong. Testing the baby's flexibility in the arm and function of her tiny hand, Lauren concluded that the arm was going to be fine. She finished the rest of her newborn tests and cleaned the blood from her niece before wrapping her up and taking her into her arms.

"Say hello to Mom and Dad baby Shepherd" Lauren cooed to her niece as she took the baby back to an exhausted Meredith and Derek. Handing the baby to Meredith, Lauren stepped back watching the young family.

"Baby Shepherd?" Lucy laughed and stood back with Lauren

"I don't know her name yet..."

"She's beautiful" Derek smiled as he sniffed back a few tears. He couldn't believe that this little baby was all theirs and finally here. The most nerve wracking nine months of their lives was over. Meredith kissed the gorgeous newborn's forehead taking in everything about their daughter.

"She's ok Lauren? Everything is ok?" she asked and looked up at her sister-in-law

"Ten perfect little fingers and ten perfect little toes. I'll do all my usual newborn tests over the next couple days but everything is fine" Lauren smiled and sniffed back a tear herself. Her niece was healthy and that's all she could ask for "Have you thought of a name?"

"Sophia" Meredith smiled and looked down at her daughter

"Sophia Ellis Shepherd" Derek corrected. They had considered so many middle names wanting to honour different family or friends, but there was only one person Derek wanted his daughter to be named after. Meredith smiled up at Derek and kissed him softly.

"I think it fits perfectly" Lauren smiled.

"Thank you, both of you" Derek looked up at Lucy and Lauren with a smile. He couldn't thank them enough for giving him Sophia. Both Lucy and Lauren left the room to give the new parents some time alone with their little girl. Lauren needed to check on Alex who had just become an uncle.

"Good work in their Shep. You did well for a Paeds doc" Lucy chuckled and took Meredith's chart from the nurse and documented the complications.

"You doubted me?"

"I haven't met a Paeds surgeon that can handle a birth complication like that as well as you did especially when the mother is your sister"

"I did my Neo-Natal fellowship Addison Montgomery back in New York. I've seen my fair share of childbirths" Lauren chuckled and started a new chart for baby Sophia. She'd give her brother and his young family a little while before she started her testing.

"I might call you into help more often..." Lucy suggested with a laugh and watched Lauren's face fall. She was just like any Paeds surgeon and preferred to deal with children after they were born not during.

"I should go check on my transplant case" Lauren chuckled and started backing away from the nurses' station "I'll be back in twenty minutes to start my workup on Sophia"

"Hey Shep!" Lucy called out when Lauren was almost to the elevator "Congratulations Aunty Lauren"

**Thoughts?**

**The song 'Baby Baby' by Corona is an old 80's or 90's song I did a dance to when I was about 8 years old. If you listen to the very beginning, it just starts off with the words 'baby, baby'. I thought it was appropriate**


	13. Chapter 13

Alex finished up the transplant surgery just before Lauren made it back after the birth. He was on top of the world especially being the first resident to perform a transplant. That was something usually reserved for Attendings but even Arizona was impressed at his talent. Lauren and Arizona took Caitlin and Courtney up to recovery to join their brothers insisting Alex took some time to go see Meredith. He and Cristina would probably be two of the first people Meredith wanted to introduce Sophia to.

"Hey" Alex smiled from the doorway as he watched Meredith hold Sophia in her arms. Derek had just left to call his family and let him know of the good news while Cristina was still in surgery.

"Hey" she smiled back weakly. Exhausted, Meredith wanted to stay awake as long as she could to spend time with her daughter. Alex made his way into Meredith's room and pulled up a chair by her bed. "Would you like to hold her Uncle Alex?" Meredith chuckled

"I'm an uncle" he laughed and stood up taking Sophia gently into his arms. Sitting back down, he looked at the little girl in his arms. He was her uncle and that scared him a little but when he looked up at Meredith he knew they were all a little scared. "She's beautiful Mere"

"She has Derek's eyes"

"I can never understand how people see different features in babies. Sorry Mere but I don't see it" Alex laughed softly

"Derek has distinct eyes and so does Sophia. Every other similarity Derek or a nurse pointed out just went over my head. I don't see it either"

"All the same she's a cute kid. I'm a Paeds surgeon so I've seen cute kids but Sophia is by far the cutest"

"Y'know you would make a great Dad someday Alex" Meredith smiled. He was a changed man after going into Paediatrics and seeing him holding Sophia, showed Meredith that there was a soft side to her friend.

"Who me? I don't know" he chuckled weakly "I mean I'd like to be and we're trying but I don't know how good I'd be"

"I think you'd be pretty good"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah" Meredith smiled "You're good with Sophia already. Every time a nurse tries to take her, she cries"

"Smart kid, we'll get along very well"

Lauren came up half an hour later to take Sophia to the nursery so she could run all her usual new born tests. She had plenty of capable residents that could handle those tests but she wanted to do it herself. She wanted to spend time with her niece while she could. Setting Sophia down in her little crib, Lauren pulled out her stethoscope and started checking her niece's lungs. Lauren wrote down her notes in Sophia's chart as she continued with more standard tests.

"How is she doing?" Derek asked as he walked into the nursery dressed in a pale pink gown and noticed his sister with Sophia.

"Passing with flying colours" Lauren smiled and looked up at her brother "Because she's a week premature, I'll keep an eye on her weight but otherwise she is a very healthy little girl"

"Thank you Lauren, really"

"My pleasure and my birth right"

"Your birth right?" he chuckled and pulled up a chair beside his daughter's crib. Parents weren't usually allowed to sit in the nursery but Derek was going to use his pull as Head of Neuro where possible.

"Yes it is my birth right as the only Paediatrician in the Shepherd family to tend to the children of this family" she smirked and continued Sophia's tests

"I'll keep that in mind if Sophia comes down with something at 2am one morning"

"You're a smart man and a doctor, I'm sure you can handle a fever"

"That is not tending to the needs of the family Dr Shepherd-Karev"

"Ugh fine, call me at 2am to care for your daughter" she laughed and wrote the last of her notes on Sophia's chart before closing it up. Looking down at Derek, she rested the chart under her arm "Can I tell you a secret?"

"As long as it doesn't involve anything bad happening to my wife or daughter..." Derek chuckled as Lauren shook her head weakly "You can tell me anything"

"You cannot tell anyone especially Meredith because then she'll tell Alex"

"Lauren, what did you do?" he asked fearing Lauren had cheated or done something really bad.

"Nothing bad" she sighed knowing what her brother's tone of voice was saying. He always jumped to conclusions about her like that even if she was married. "You can't tell Meredith because I don't know how to tell Alex just yet. It's a good thing, I promise"

"Then what is it?"

"This morning, I found out that I am pregnant"

**Thoughts? Lauren's pregnant...yay! How should she tell Alex?**


	14. Chapter 14

Avery, April, Alex and Cristina pushing Meredith in a wheelchair, made their way across the catwalk toward the Chief's office. It had been a week since Sophia was born and Meredith still hadn't been discharged as a precaution after some spot bleeding. They had all been paged before rounds that morning to discuss their fellowships. Their respective Attendings had all gotten the paperwork in earlier than Dr Webber ever expected. It was a shock to him that they actually paid attention to their previous meeting. Because they did what they were told, the approval for each fellowship came early too. There were more people than just Alex, April, Jackson, Meredith and Cristina applying for the five coveted spots at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital but they were by far the front runners.

The five residents were joined by Teddy, Bailey, Owen and Derek at the door to the Chief's office. None of them knew if the outcome to this meeting would be positive for everyone so it was an anxious gathering.

"Hey where's Lauren?" Alex asked noticing his wife wasn't among the navy scrubs

"We were going to ask you the same thing" Teddy told Alex until she saw Lauren jogging along the catwalk toward their little group. "Speaking of..."

"Sorry just had to check on my transplant kids"

"Are they ok?" Alex asked quickly

"Caitlin spiked a fever but Robbins has it under control" Lauren explained as she caught her breath. Only semi telling the truth, Lauren was having a tough time standing upright as she settled where she stood. Morning sickness had taken the best of her for the third day that week and she could only hide it from Alex for so long. "Are we going inside or are we waiting to be invited in?" she chuckled and subtly took Teddy's arm as the rest of their little group made their way into Dr Webber's office.

"Worse than yesterday or bearable?" Teddy asked and waited til Lauren had steadied herself before slowly walking into the Chief's office. Everyone else was talking so much they didn't notice the pair's encounter.

"Worse" Lauren sighed with a weak smile. Teddy was the only other person Lauren had confided in about this pregnancy until she worked up the courage to tell Alex. She hadn't even told Arizona who thought her friend was coming down with a bug.

"Telling him might make it better" the Cardio Surgeon smirked softly as they sat down on the couch and waited for Dr Webber to tell them all the outcome of the fellowship applications. Lauren glared at Teddy as the group gathered quietened down and focused on the Chief.

"I don't think I have been more proud of a group of surgeons as I am with all of you and yes Attendings I am talking to you too" Dr Webber began with a chuckle "I read over the letters of recommendation you wrote for your respective residents and I think that is what ensured that all five of our residents were successful in their fellowship applications"

The room was silent for a moment until what the Chief had said registered and the residents started rejoicing. The Attendings all laughed as Avery and April started dancing while Alex and Cristina hugged which was very out of character for both of them. The Attendings all congratulated the Residents with Bailey even offering to buy them all a drink later that night at Joe's

"Alright, alright" the Chief laughed trying to control the group of doctors once again "I just want to congratulate the Residents on their successful applications. You will do this hospital very proud" he smiled "The Paediatrics Department will have a great asset in you Karev, the General Surgery Department will excel with you Avery, Trauma will be revolutionised with you April, Cardio is already one of Seattle Grace's strongest departments with you Cristina and our Neurosurgery Department will only become greater with you Meredith as an Attending. I wish you all the best of luck"

"Sorry Chief" Owen sighed as his pager went off. Bailey, Kepner and Avery's pagers all started beeping much like Owen's. There was a MVA coming into the ER and they all needed to be down there. Dr Webber nodded as the four surgeons rushed out of his office and toward the ER. The remaining doctors also went back to work, starting their own individual rounds.

Teddy and Lauren organised a meeting point for lunch that day like they usually did before parting ways. An intern ran up to Lauren having to catch her breath before attempting to deliver a message. Crossing his arms, Alex watched the intern finally straighten up and take one last deep breath.

"Dr Fields said she is sorry but she's been called into an emergency c-section and can't make it this morning. She isn't free again til Wednesday afternoon if you want to wait til then"

Lauren contemplated the thought until she looked up at a confused Alex standing next to her. "Tell Lucy... Dr Fields that Dr Karev will take over but I will consult with her after her c-section for her opinion"

Lauren chuckled softly as she watched the intern bob her head trying to remember the message word for word before going back to Dr Fields. Quickly pulling out a piece of paper and a pen, Lauren wrote down an even shorter message for the intern to deliver. Doing that couldn't be quite so hard for them. Lauren read over the message which said _'Luce, Alex will do ultrasound. Call you tonight, Lauren' _before handing it to the intern.

"What ultrasound?" Alex asked after reading over his wife's shoulder. Lauren didn't answer her husband as they made their way to an empty OB exam room. Asking the same question over and over again, Alex still hadn't put the puzzle together. Sitting up on the exam table, Lauren looked at a confused Alex with a smile.

"What ultrasound am I doing? Where is the patient?"

"I'm the patient" she chuckled

"Is everything ok? Robbins thinks you're coming down with the flu or something but that doesn't explain why we're in an OB exam room. Is it something serious?"

Shaking her head with a laugh, Lauren couldn't believe that such a smart man couldn't figure this out. Lying back on the bed, she pulled up her scrub top "Could you please do the ultrasound? Aim for the uterus"

It was like a light bulb had gone off over Alex's head as he looked at Lauren with a smile "You're pregnant?"

"See for yourself"

Alex set up the ultrasound machine before squirting the gel onto Lauren's slightly bloated stomach. He pressed the transducer to her stomach and moved it around looking for the right spot. Gasping softly, Alex smiled as he found the baby and heard it's faint but rapid heartbeat.

"That's a baby, we're having a baby" he smiled and looked at the screen

"I should be about 10 weeks not that I even noticed something was different til last week" Lauren chuckled and wiped the gel off her stomach before sitting up. Crossing her legs, she pulled Alex up to sit beside her "You've been stressing about this fellowship that I just didn't know how to tell you"

"Lucy did a blood test and an ultrasound last Wednesday but I wanted her to do another one today just to check everything was ok"

"You don't think it will be ok?"

"I'm having a baby at 36, I'm just being precautious" she shrugged "Fields says I'm being paranoid which is probably true"

"This baby is going to be perfect" Alex smiled kissing Lauren's forehead gently and pulling her to his chest. Lauren pushed away a few minutes later and raced to the bin by the door. She would rejoice the day that her morning sickness subsided. "Can I do something?"

"Prescribe me anti-nausea? I have back to back surgeries today"

"I'm a Paeds fellow now, I could do the surgeries for you" he chuckled as he helped Lauren up from over the bin and back onto the exam bed. Lauren looked at him as if to say 'not gonna happen'

"You're not a fellow yet but you can take point on my cases. The nausea usually passes within the next hour or so"

"Nausea caused by our baby"

"You do realise that over the next seven months I will blame you for every ounce of pain I feel because you got me pregnant" she smirked and got off the bed. Picking up the bin, she quickly handed it to Alex so she wouldn't need to use it again.

"I know and I will accept all responsibility because this has to be the best day" he smiled as they walked out of the exam room. Dumping the bin into a Hazard Disposal in passing, Alex wrapped his arm around Lauren and kissed her temple softly "Nothing could ruin this day for me"

**Thoughts? All the Residents are there to stay. I don't know if Avery and April will really go into those specialties in the show but it works for my story :P**

**Thankyou Patricia (****pl782) for her input to this chapter. You're getting a better chapter because of her :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**One Month Later**

"How did you manage to get Meredith and the baby out of the house long enough for us to set this up?" Lauren asked her brother as she laid out the sets of navy scrubs neatly along the coffee table in front of the cold fire place. With the Residents soon to become Attendings and Fellows in their specialty fields, the current Attendings all decided to throw them a little graduation ceremony. Half of the Attendings were married to a resident; so it was a sentimental moment for all of them.

"Meredith had been going crazy without surgery so Cristina snagged her a cadaver to play with and Mark and Lexie have Sophia. Mark offered to babysit considering neither of them were involved in tonight"

"Mark offered? Wow that's a new one"

"He's evolving..."

"He's going soft" Lauren laughed and started hanging up a lab coat behind their respective scrubs on the fire place hooks.

Teddy walked into the living room and started setting down the new stethoscopes on top of the scrubs "Who's gone soft?"

"Mark..."

"Totally agree" she laughed "Just don't tell him that"

"Don't tell who, what?" Owen chuckled as he came into the living room carrying bottles of champagne and ice buckets for the impending celebrations "Cristina just called and they're about to leave the hospital, I can't stall any longer"

"I can't hold off Alex anymore either. He has called three times already" Lauren sighed and hit 'end call' on her cell for the third time in the past half hour. Alex knew something was going on but Lauren refused to tell him no matter how hard he tried.

"What about Avery and Kepner?"

"They're with Alex"

"Are we ready for them?" Bailey asked as she looked around the room. The scrubs, stethoscopes and lab coats were set up, the champagne was cold and the food was ready in the kitchen. Everything seemed to be in place.

"The scrub caps!" Lauren gasped and quickly ran to the kitchen where her handbag was. Coming back into the living room, she was carrying five different scrub caps in her hands. She called her Mom the week before and asked her to take some time out from knitting baby clothes for one month old Sophia as well as for Lauren's unborn baby and sew five scrub caps for their ceremony. Dragging Bailey, Teddy and Callie out to find all the material, Lauren sent it to her Mom and the scrub caps were delivered four days later. It was amazing how fast Carolyn was. She even had time to make some more Ferry boat ones for Derek and some cartoon character ones for Lauren. Setting them down on top of their respective scrubs and stethoscopes each had a different and significant meaning just like all the Attendings caps did.

XXXXX

"Dude, you're the one married to an Attending. Why didn't you just ask what the hell is going on tonight" Avery chuckled as he walked up onto the front porch of Meredith and Derek's house with Alex and April. All three of them had just come off one of their last ever shifts as residents and were simply told to come here.

"Lauren refused to tell me anything. She's been so secretive about the whole thing and keeps deflecting the conversation to the baby or something" Alex shrugged and watched as Meredith and Cristina joined them on the porch.

"You guys got called here tonight too?" Meredith asked curiously. She wasn't even aware that Derek had anything to do with Cristina's afternoon surgery play date.

"So that's why Derek suggested I get you out and into surgery for the afternoon. He needed you out of the house" Cristina sighed lightly and tried to peer through the windows but the curtains were closed. People were moving inside but there was no indication of who it was. "So no-one knows what's going on?"

"Why don't we go in and find out?" April suggested with a soft chuckle after watching everyone shake their heads to Cristina's question. Making their way to the door, everyone followed Meredith inside and through to the living room. The five residents looked at each other and then back to the five Attendings standing in front of the fire place.

"What's going on?"

"We would like to welcome you all to a little graduation ceremony we've put together for you" Miranda began with a big smile on her face. Although only three of those residents were her original interns, she was so proud to see all five of them there with fellowships for the coming year. "I'm so proud of y'all" she smiled and started sniffing back a few tears. Derek wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she collected herself.

"We're all very proud of each of you so we've put together something special for you" Owen continued for Bailey as all the Attendings stepped away and showed the residents their gifts.

Teddy presented Cristina with her new Cardio Attending lab coat, Owen presented to April as the next Trauma surgeon, Bailey gave Jackson his new General Surgery scrubs and coat, Derek handed Meredith her new Neuro Attending lab coat and Lauren presented Alex with his. They all passed over the scrubs, lab coats and stethoscopes but left the scrub caps for last. Lauren wanted to explain why each of them had the design that they did.

"As new Attendings you also get new scrub caps. No more pale blue ones" Lauren began and laughed at Alex and Jackson cheering. They all hated having to wear those scrub caps and were excited for something unique. "Each of your scrub caps has a reason behind it"

The five residents sat up ready to listen to the meanings behind their scrub caps. Each Attending had their own special scrub cap like Derek and his ferry boats, Lauren with the British Flag and Teddy with the birds. The up and coming Attendings could finally be seen as the individuals that they were.

**Thoughts? I have a few ideas for all their scrub caps but I'm not sure. What should they all have on their scrub caps? Personally, I'd have music notes but that's so Burke**


	16. Chapter 16

"Meredith..." Derek smiled and picked up his wife's scrub cap "Your scrub cap is the dark night's sky with bright stars shining through the stirring clouds. There are just so many facets to your incredible personality because you can be dark and twisty as well as bright and shiny. You're talented yet reserved but you're so warm to your friends yet fearless at the same time. No-one, especially me can quite understand you"

"I think it fits" she smiled and stood up from the couch taking the scrub cap from her husband. Kissing him softly, she thought that it would fit perfectly because even she didn't quite understand herself.

"April..." Owen chuckled as April bounced in her seat excited to hear what he had to say "You grew up on a farm and you love animals but you're a bit of a firecracker. I would never have picked you for trauma but you're a badass which is why we have chosen bright pink and black cow print. The pink is because you're unnaturally perky"

April got up giggling and took the scrub cap from Owen thanking him. It was just right for her personality. Bailey was the next one to pass the scrub cap onto Avery. She had collected herself from earlier but one look at Avery and she burst into tears again. She simply pointed from the cap to Jackson and back again as she tried to form words.

"I think what Miranda is trying to say Jackson is that you refuse to live in the shadow of anyone. You're strong and independent and don't let the hype of your family change how hard you work as a doctor. The reason why your scrub cap is bright purple with orange polka dots is because you aim to stand out and don't stop til you achieve that" Lauren chuckled. Bailey looked to Lauren with a smile and nodding.

"Cristina..." Teddy started as Bailey gave Jackson his scrub cap and sat down. Derek pulled out his handkerchief and passed it to Bailey with a smile "Boomerangs are a traditional Australian Aboriginal tool that when thrown correctly, always come back. You're like a boomerang because you have shown that no matter what happens, no matter what life throws at you, you always come back better and stronger than ever before" she smiled and handed the scrub cap to Cristina "You are already an incredible surgeon but you have proved that even the best can be improved"

"Thankyou" Cristina smiled appreciative of what Teddy had to say. After everything that happened especially around the shooting, Cristina couldn't be luckier to have so many supportive people around her to bring her back to her usual self.

"And Alex" Lauren chuckled and played with her husband's new scrub cap with superheroes printed all over it "Being in hospital is scary for anyone but that fear multiples infinitely for a kid and sometimes even a parent can't help them. To a parent, we're the doctors that can possibly save their kids lives; to the kids we're superheroes that make their pain go away which is why you have superheroes all over your scrub cap. A Paeds surgeon is a rare species because it takes someone special to handle it and you're that kind of person"

Alex got up and pulled Lauren into a warm hug. There wasn't much he could say to that. Kissing her softly, Alex ignored the whistles coming from the others before pulling away. He took the scrub cap and sat down because there was one last surprise for the residents.

"Your last day as residents is Monday and as another graduation present, you all get to be our bosses for the day. We're going back into the pale blue scrubs; we're going to wear the plain old scrub caps because you guys get the wear our scrub caps" Bailey chuckled now that she could string a sentence together without crying "We will complain but we will suck it up"

"We get to be your bosses? For the whole day?" Avery asked as the smile grew on his face. He would get to boss Bailey around all day without getting into trouble.

"Do we get to wear navy scrubs?" April added with a giggle

"Yes"

"Why don't we get to wear our own scrub caps?" Cristina wondered curiously. She liked her new scrub cap; she didn't want to wear ones with birds all over it.

"Because it's like you're playing dress up before you become the real thing after your much deserved two week break" Teddy chuckled "You guys get free reign for one day. You get all the surgeries with us only assisting and you can order us to run labs or take a patient to radiology"

"Sweet" Alex laughed before looking at Lauren "Sorry. I promise I'll be nice"

"No we dare you to be as mean as possible. It's only fair after how we have all treated you guys" Lauren laughed and watched all their faces light up. They were so excited to finally get back for all the pain they went through as interns and residents without getting into trouble for it.

"Do we get to order you guys to stay in the Gallery?" Cristina asked with a sly smile on her face. Her greatest revenge would be making Teddy stay in the Gallery while she took charge.

"No" Teddy smirked "While you guys could perform all of our surgeries with ease, in case of an emergency, we get to stay in the OR whether you lot like it or not. We're still responsible for everything you do. The day you finish your fellowship is the day you can consider kicking us out of the OR"

"But that wouldn't be very wise..." Bailey insisted and stared down the five residents until they nodded.

"They'll be ok with that" Meredith chuckled "As long as I get to watch"

"If you felt up to it you can work that day. My Mom will be in town so she could take Sophia..." Derek suggested and watched his wife's face just light up. Meredith loved Sophia and adored spending time with her but would hate to miss a day like this with the four people she considered family. Carolyn was so excited to come to Seattle so she would be more than happy to take care of the little girl for a few hours.

"One surgery" she smiled "One surgery and that's it. Do you know how much being away from Sophia has killed me today?"

"Good thing Mark is on his way back" Derek chuckled. While the other Attendings were handing out the scrub caps, Mark texted Derek saying 'Bringing Sophia back. She wants her Mom'. In Mark's language that was a cry for help.

"Is that our cue to leave?" Avery asked. He and April had moved out not long into Meredith's pregnancy to give them their privacy. Feeling a little awkward, he didn't know if they should stay. All the girls seemed to go a little gaga over the baby.

"No stay please. The Attendings have gone to so much trouble for us"

"Yes enjoy the party, everyone except Lauren can drink the champagne. Sorry little sister" Derek laughed shooting a smirk at his three month pregnant sister. Glaring back at him, she joined Teddy and Bailey as they got the food from the kitchen to keep their party going.

"Are you guys sure we're doing the right thing letting those five run free on Monday?" Teddy asked as she picked up a plate of food. Lauren shrugged with a laugh as bailey contemplated the idea "Cristina is going to put me on scut the whole day"

"And you think I've got it easy?" Bailey chuckled "They used to call me the Nazi for a reason..."

"I'm not worried" Lauren sung with a sly smile as she poured herself a glass of juice and picked up a plate to take to the living room. Teddy and Bailey looked back at her and rolled their eyes.

"Alex wouldn't torture his pregnant wife. That's just cruel"

"True but I can hide out in my oncology ward all day. He can't order me out of there until I find a replacement"

"Need some help up there? I'm great with kids" Teddy laughed as the three women made their way out to the living room

"No chance, they're my escape route"

**Thoughts? Do you like each meaning behind the scrub caps? I was a little stumped for Avery but you guys definitely helped :) **

**Tip for the next chapter: Re-read the last line of chapter 14 before reading chapter 17**


	17. Chapter 17

"Pale blue is so not my colour" Teddy sighed as she looked in the mirror sadly. It was Monday and it was like the world had flipped. The Attendings were back in the pale blue scrubs while the Residents got to run the show. The only thing the Residents couldn't take away was the Attendings Lounge. Lucy, Mark, Callie and Arizona refused to share their Lounge with 'ankle biters' as they called them even for one day.

"What are you talking about? You look great, I look horrible" Lauren laughed as she tied up her sneakers. She even resorted to plain old Chuck Taylor sneakers for the day. Residents didn't have light up sneakers. "I wore burgundy scrubs in my residency and green over in London. I thought I finally had it good with navy"

"Green scrubs?" Bailey laughed. She had worn those same pale blue scrubs only a few years before so it wasn't that big of a change for her. Looking back at Derek and Owen, they definitely looked the strangest in such a light colour.

"I don't like this" Derek sighed

"Suck it up big brother, this was your idea"

"This was your idea Shepherd?" Owen growled as he pulled on his pale blue scrub top and fixed his pager to the waistband "I thought it was Bailey's. She's the one with the soft spot for the residents"

"You just don't want Kepner running your ER" Teddy chuckled and pulled on her lab coat.

"And you want to take orders from my wife?" he smirked knowing no-one wanted to take orders from Cristina.

"Well would you look at this" Mark laughed as he walked into the Attendings Lounge and saw the five sets of pale blue scrubs. He couldn't believe that they could be so stupid as to let their residents swap places with them. Nothing good could come of letting the baby birds out of the next before they're ready to fly. "You all look ridiculous"

"Thank you Mark, we're well aware of that. Did you want anything else besides to ridicule us?"

"I need Lauren actually. There's a kid coming in with acid burns to the face. Ambulance is ten minutes out"

"Acid?" she gasped and quickly attached her pager and name tag to her scrubs.

"Brutal" Teddy sighed softly as Mark and Lauren left the Attendings Lounge. Putting her boots into her cubby, Teddy looked toward the door and saw Cristina and Avery standing there like they had just magically appeared. Bailey had a talent with just appearing but even she was surprised.

"Rounds started five minutes ago" Cristina growled crossing her arms. Bailey scoffed ready to yell at Cristina til Teddy put her hand out and stopped her. They had to just take whatever crap the residents pulled on them for the whole day without complaint.

"You can forget about rounds Dr Bailey" Avery chuckled evilly and handed Miranda a stack of charts "1362, 1412 and 2204 all need an enema, 2145 has a case of explosive diarrhoea and 1736 needs their dressings changed every two hours... bedsores"

"You have got to be kid..."

"Bailey" Teddy warned and looked at her as if to say 'you told us to suck it up'

"Right away Dr Avery" Bailey sighed softly and followed Jackson out of the room. Teddy couldn't help but laugh at the thought of Miranda Bailey performing all the horrible tasks she happily handed off to her residents.

"I wouldn't laugh Dr Altman" Cristina smirked

"Excuse me?"

"I need you to round on all my pre-op and post-op patients as well as get all the relevant scans and tests completed before we go into surgery today. I want the x-rays for all of our surgical patients in the OR before we scrub in"

"Seriously?"

"I'd get started pretty soon if you don't want to hold up the OR"

"Right away Dr Yang" Teddy growled through her teeth and stood up. The Attendings were going to make their new fellows lives a living hell after today. They wouldn't know what has hit them after their cushy two week break.

XXXXX

Mark wolf whistled as he saw Alex dressed in navy scrubs. It was a good look for him but the British flag scrub cap in his pocket was the deal breaker. It just wouldn't suit him.

"Sorry Dr Shepherd but light blue really isn't a good colour on you" Lexie chuckled as Lauren stood beside her. An honorary resident for the day, Lauren stood back with Lexie as Mark conferred on the incoming emergency with Alex.

"I know..."

"But navy suits Alex. Makes him look so..."

"Old?" Lauren chuckled sarcastically. If Alex looked old then what was she? She already got enough crap from Amelia for being a 'cougar'; she didn't need it from Little Grey. Lexie nodded with a shrug as they followed Mark and Alex outside to meet the ambulance. The paramedic jumped out of the ambulance as he and Mark pulled the gurney out. The teenage boy was thrashing around in excruciating pain trying his best to clutch his face.

"Why haven't you sedated him?" Mark asked as they wheeled the gurney into the ER assessing the teenager's situation as they walked.

"We didn't have anything stocked" the paramedic shot back quickly not that it should have been an excuse. Alex yelled out for some morphine and sedation as the paramedic started rhyming off their usually patient history spiel.

"Jamie Caesar, sixteen, had acid thrown in his face during a school yard brawl"

"School yard brawl? What kind of kid brings acid to school?" Lexie gasped as she tried to restrain Jamie as he continued to thrash around. Lauren too tried to hold the teenager down until the nurse finally brought the drugs. With the best access to his arm, Lauren let up on Jamie's legs and took the drugs.

Lexie gasped as the strength in the teenager's legs broke free of her arms and he started kicking wildly. Looking away for only a second, Lauren didn't see Jamie's foot kick out of Lexie's restraint attempt. When she turned back, Lauren only saw a flash of colour before feeling Jamie's foot slam into her ribs pushing her off her feet and into a wound dressing's cart.

"Lauren!" Alex gasped as his wife lay unconscious on the floor with blood coming from the laceration on the back of her head.

"Go Karev" Mark ordered as Alex nodded and raced to Lauren "talk to me Alex, is she ok?"

"I don't know! Someone page Shepherd and Fields now!"

Lexie got the morphine and sedation into Jamie and it was like magic when he calmed down. They could get him into a trauma room as Mark raced to Lauren and helped Alex carry her into another trauma room. Alex insisted Mark helped the teenage boy as he ordered a nurse to page Arizona to help. He wasn't going to leave Lauren.

"What...What happened?" Lauren asked groggily as she started to stir. Trying to lift her head, she felt a sudden rush of dizziness and stayed on her back. Alex immediately went into doctor mode and started testing her consciousness and assessing the cut on Lauren's head.

Meredith walked into the room with Derek trailing behind asking what happened herself until she noticed Lauren on the table. Gasping softly both Meredith and Derek switched to serious doctor mode as Alex relayed the earlier events.

"I'm fine" Lauren insisted trying to ignore the throbbing pain in her head. She wasn't even thinking of the baby until Lucy walked in and gasped at the sight of Lauren "You all have to stop making that noise"

"We're just worried about you, a patient did kick you" Alex sighed and took Lauren's hand looking into her eyes "Just sit back and put up with our tests please"

"Kicked her?" Lucy asked concerned and she pulled the ultrasound machine over toward the gurney. Pulling up Lauren's scrub top, Lucy took it a little higher and saw the big red bruises starting to form on her ribs "Ah Alex, you might want to order a chest x-ray. Lauren, how bad is the pain in your chest?"

Alex took a look at Lauren's chest and gasped only causing his wife to glare at him. Apologising softly, Alex pressed his hand lightly to the bruise. Lauren let out a loud hiss in pain and Alex quickly moved his hands.

"Ok now that hurts"

"It looks like she's broken a few ribs. Definitely get an x-ray and maybe a CT as well" Lucy told the intern who was writing up Lauren's chart.

"Do a Head CT too. It's just a cut but I want to be sure" Meredith added. Derek stood by his sister's side as his wife took point on the case. Nodding in agreement, he would have done the same as a precaution.

"The baby...?"

Lucy squirted the gel onto Lauren's stomach and moved the transducer looking for a picture. Finding the right spot, the whole room went silent as a rapid heartbeat echoed from the ultrasound. They all let out a sigh of relief at the sound of the baby's heart.

"He's ok. Probably a little rattled but he's fine" Lucy smiled

"He? It's a boy?" Alex asked with a smile. They hadn't had their 15 week check up yet which was going to tell them if they were having a boy or a girl. Even though Lauren was in pain, this made her forget for just a moment.

**Thoughts? I told you to read the last line of chapter 14 for a reason. Nothing may have ruined that day for Alex but the patient sure as hell ruined this one.**

**Thanks to everyone for your feedback on the scrub caps. **


	18. Chapter 18

"Ok so your scans look clean. The baby is fine" Lucy began as she walked into the playroom in Lauren's oncology ward and pulled up a chair beside her friend. Sitting in the big, comfy couch chair, Lauren refused to stay in some hospital room while all her tests came back. She was hooked up to IV morphine and felt fine so there was no reason why she couldn't rest up on her oncology ward with her kids. They could make anyone feel better when they were having a good day.

"Can I go back to work now?" Lauren chuckled jokingly. There was no way anyone would let her go back to work in her condition but she couldn't help but try.

"Not now and not for at least two weeks"

"Two weeks?"

"Strict bed rest for two weeks then I will consider letting you come back on oncology ward duties only. You need to take it easy. Scarred ribs are going to make childbirth a lot more painful" Lucy insisted and handed Lauren a prescription for pain killers once she left the hospital "And it helps that Alex is on two weeks holiday before he starts his fellowship. He can look after you like the good husband he should be"

"Who is going to supervise this ward? Who is going to look after my kids?" Lauren asked as she watched a few kids playing mini golf on a course they had made in the playroom. She hadn't found someone to replace her when she went on maternity leave unless Alex wanted to take on a specialty in oncology. The thought of finding someone to look after those kids for a few months had been at the back of Lauren's mind until now.

"I hear Robbins is a good Paeds surgeon and I'm sure there are more than capable Attendings and Residents in oncology that could lend a hand. It's two weeks Lauren; they will be okay for two weeks. You're a junkie"

"I like being a junkie"

"Why don't you want to stay home for 2 weeks? Do you not want to spend some quality time with your husband?" Lucy chuckled "You do know that when this baby is born, quality time with Alex will be a myth"

"I know but Paediatric oncology has been my life since my residency; it's hard to just walk away even for two weeks. Plus Alex has his holidays all planned with fishing trips and projects around the apartment. I'm just going to ruin them"

"Alex will love having you home and the kids will be fine, they have their mini golf" Lucy smiled and relaxed back in her chair and watched the kids. Their course was genius with obstacles and ramps for the ball to overcome before rolling into the empty water glass. "If it makes you feel any better I'll see how you're going after a week then you can possibly come in here and supervise but nothing more. You need to heal before Baby Karev gets any bigger"

"Baby Karev?"

"I don't know his name yet"

"Neither do I. Alex and I can't seem to think of anything that goes with Karev"

"Everything goes with Shepherd, why don't you make the kid's last name Shepherd-Karev?" Lucy suggested with a laugh and watched Lauren shake her head "Ok we'll think of something that goes with Karev"

**Ten Hours Later**

Derek, Bailey, Teddy and Owen met at the elevators dressed ready to go home. They were all exhausted from the countless rectal exams and trips to the lab that they just wanted to collapse. Sitting in on surgeries were their only break from the long lists of torture their residents had thought up.

Meredith, who managed a few extra hours at work made Derek run labs every second he wasn't in surgery. If he wasn't running labs he was taking patients back and forth to radiology. She couldn't give him anything really disgusting like Avery or April could.

Owen had to restock every trauma room, ER bay and clinic bay with everything they needed after taking every possible cold and vomit bug case that came through the doors. He couldn't remember how many dressings her changed or how many sutures he sewed as well.

Teddy ran labs and took patients for scans all day much like Derek while Bailey copped the worst of it. She showered twice that day to get various human liquids off her. The residents had a field day torturing their Attendings and with a two week break only Alex and Meredith would have to deal with the tortured for two weeks.

Alex reluctantly took Lauren up to the Paediatric Oncology ward once Meredith cleared her head CT and Callie cleared her chest x-ray. He wanted to just take her home but Robbins had a full day and couldn't cover Lauren's surgeries. Apparently three broken ribs affected her ability to drive herself home so there was no other option than to wait. After a lot of persuading to the Chief on Lauren's part, Alex performed all her surgeries by himself while she rested with her oncology kids. He didn't get to torment Lauren like he'd planned but the pain she was in was enough agony.

The four exhausted Attendings stepped into the elevator that was already occupied by Mark and Callie. They both burst into fits of laughter at the sight of Derek, Teddy, Bailey and Owen dead on their feet. Thinking that that whole day's idea was pathetic, they still found it thoroughly entertaining all the same.

"You guys look like crap" Mark laughed "Rough day?"

"You could say that..." Owen sighed and painfully adjusted his bag on his shoulder. Everything ached from head to toe after the day they'd had.

"Anyone up for a drink at Joes? You all look like you need it" Callie chuckled. Derek, Teddy, Bailey and Owen all groaned softly with little energy to get themselves home let alone go for a drink. Politely turning down the offer, they only fuelled Mark and Callie's laughter. No doubt the residents would already be at Joe's toasting their successful day in charge.

The elevator doors opened and the Attendings all filed out some slower than others. Parting ways, Mark and Callie walked across to Joe's while the others headed to their cars and went home. After washing the day off them, the four Attendings collapsed on the nearest soft surface whether it was the bed or the couch. Without a doubt, it would probably be the best sleep any of them had had for quite some time.

XXXXX

"Hey" Alex smiled and walked into the playroom pushing a wheelchair. Just as she'd promised, Lauren hadn't moved from the couch chair all day. She was however sharing her seat with one of her sleeping kids after they gathered for a story before bed. They all managed to get themselves back to bed with the aid of nurses except for one. The four year old leukaemia patient had been in hospital for two months and just needed to know someone was there when her parents went home for the night.

"Before you ask, she's on my good side so it doesn't hurt" she chuckled noticing the look on Alex's face when he saw the little girl on the chair. Picking her up, Alex took the four year back to bed before going back to Lauren "How was your day?"

"Busy..."

"How's Jamie Caesar? The kid who had the acid thrown in his face?"

"You mean the kid who kicked you?"

"Alex..." Lauren sighed. She understood why Alex was a little sour toward the sixteen year old but Jamie didn't know what he was doing, he was in too much pain. Her head and ribs hurt but it was nothing compared to the pain that boy was feeling and would feel for the rest of his life. "How is he?"

"Critical in the ICU, he's lost all eyesight and his face is pretty badly burnt. Mark's going to do his best but it doesn't look good" Alex explained and sat down in the wheelchair he'd brought to take Lauren to the car in. He was sticking to Lucy's strict bed rest no matter how much Lauren hated it. "The police have charged the kid who threw the acid"

"At least that's something. I still don't know what could possess someone to hurt another person like that"

"Beats me" Alex shrugged and stood up from the wheelchair "You ready to go home?"

"Can I please just walk? It's really not that far to the car"

"Get in the chair..."

"Alex..."

"Get in the chair Lauren"

"It is embarrassing to be pushed out of the hospital in a wheelchair"

"No-one's going to see you. The Residents all went to Joe's and the Attendings went home because they're that exhausted. You should have seen what they went through today" Alex laughed and nudged the chair into Lauren's leg gently. Groaning softly, she slowly and painfully got up and sat down in the wheelchair.

"Happy now?"

"Thrilled"

**Thoughts? Poor Attendings**


	19. Chapter 19

Lauren (5:05pm): SAVE ME NOW DEREK! You brought her here so now you have to send her home

Derek (5:08pm): Now she's just there to look after you in your time of need

Lauren (5:12pm): You'll be the one in his time of need if you don't do something soon

Derek (5:14pm): Sorry little sister. She's all yours now. You graciously took her off my hands and for that I thank you

Lauren (5:17pm): Please help me Derek. I'm going crazy here

Derek (5:21pm): I'd like to help but I finally have some time alone with Meredith and Sophia alone. Do you know how hard it's been having Mom everywhere I look for the first month of my daughter's life?

Lauren (5:23pm): And I will suffer through the same pain when my son is born. I would do it for you Derek...

Derek (5:28pm): Leave it with me, I'll think of something

Carolyn pottered around Lauren's apartment dusting, cleaning and just doing odd jobs for her daughter. Flicking through the TV channels for the fiftieth time that day, Lauren was confined to the couch and she was going crazy. It had been a week since Lauren was kicked in the ribs and both Alex and Carolyn had strongly enforced the bed rest ruling. The most movement she was allowed to do was go to the bathroom. Lauren had only just managed to persuade her mother and husband to let her make the short trip to the couch.

Lauren's heart skipped a beat when the door bell echoed through the apartment. She needed the distraction especially because Alex left early that morning for a weekend away with Avery. Carolyn rushed past the couch so Lauren wouldn't get up to answer the door. Opening the door, Carolyn found Teddy standing before her. Lauren tried to arch over the back of the chair to see who was at the door.

"Teddy" she smiled. Carolyn looked back at her daughter who quickly slumped back down into the couch cushions. Her Mom made her feel like she was 12 again and Lauren hated it.

"You really need your rest Lauren" Carolyn insisted

"Oh come on" Lauren sighed "Teddy, please come in"

Teddy hesitantly stepped past Carolyn as she opened the door for her. Picking up her handbag and a piece of paper off the kitchen bench, Carolyn told Lauren she was going to pick up a few things from the store and left the apartment.

"I'm almost waiting for her to just snap and go home" Lauren sighed as Teddy sat down on the couch beside her "Does that make me a bad person?"

"Yeah" Teddy joked "You must be going crazy being couped up like this"

"I feel so much better but I'm not even allowed to get off the couch. I walk around when whoever is babysitting me goes to bed just so I can test my limits"

"And..."

"And I could go back to work. A ten hour surgery would be too much but I could comfortably run my oncology ward"

"How's the bruising?" Teddy asked. She wanted Lauren to get back to work before she went insane. "Let me see"

"I don't know you that well Teddy. It's not appropriate" Lauren chuckled sarcastically. Hitting Lauren's arm gently, Teddy asked her to pull up her t-shirt. Lauren did as she was asked and Teddy assessed the bruising. It was a lot better than it was a week ago and from what she could feel; Lauren's ribs were starting to heal nicely. It would still be a while before she was back to normal but it was a good start.

"How am I doing doc?"

"I will report back to Lucy to let you off bed rest and maybe let you back to your oncology kids. You still need to take it easy"

"Don't you start" Lauren sighed "I can take it easy in six months but until then, I want to work"

"Lucy's right, you are a junkie" Teddy laughed

"You two talk about me when I'm not there?"

"There's no other entertainment without the residents. Where is Karev anyway?"

"In Portland with Avery for the weekend to watch some baseball game. That's why my Mom is here. Apparently I need a babysitter"

"Which is worse than the bed rest but I have a present to make you feel better" Teddy sung happily as she pulled a small package out of her handbag. She handed it to Lauren who insisted Teddy shouldn't have bought her anything "It's not for you, it's for the baby"

Lauren opened the package and pulled out a little blue onesie with a stethoscope printed around the neckline. The front was printed with the words 'Baby Doctor' that just made Lauren laugh.

"Oh Teddy this is gorgeous, thank you"

"There were firemen and sheriff's but I had to buy this one. I wish I could have said 'Baby Baby Doctor' considering he's growing up with Paeds surgeons for parents"

"A Paeds surgeon and a Paeds oncologist at least. I don't know how much surgery I'll be doing when he's born. Surgeons marry surgeons because they know how crazy their lifestyles can be but they never consider children into that equation"

"You can't give up surgery..."

"That's just it. I have two specialties so I can. Plus there won't be much use for me now that Arizona is back and Alex is a fellow. If Webber tells me how expensive my department is one more time I may use the scalpel for evil" she chuckled with a shrug. Thinking back to when she first got married, she and Alex found it hard to spend time together. What would happen when they had children? Lauren didn't want to see her kids to only tuck them in at night.

"I won't let you give up surgery..." Teddy insisted with a sly smile "Paeds is always paged before Cardio when a kid comes into the ER but on the off chance that I get there first, I will page you and you only. I like Robbins and Karev but you have to be the Paeds surgeon on any cases I get involving children. No arguments got it?"

"Got it" Lauren smiled "But Webber is still fuming about how much I cost his hospital"

"Don't worry, he says that to all of us and we just ignore him"

Lauren laughed as she got up slowly and made her way to the kitchen. While her Mom wasn't there to yell at her, she intended to stretch her legs. Bringing two glasses of water back to the couch; Lauren was taken by surprise at a loud bashing on the door. She quickly put the glasses down and saw a panting Derek when she opened the door.

"You don't answer your phone" he sighed gasping for breath

"My cell's on charge. You don't need to save me, Mom's not here"

"It's Sophia, she needs your help"

Lauren looked back at Teddy for a moment before grabbing her bag and keys. There was no time for many questions. All Lauren knew was that Sophia hadn't stop screaming for the last four hours and she had fluid in her lungs. It could have been a list of different things but Lauren had promised to look after her niece no matter what. Teddy was right behind Lauren as they raced out of the apartment and to Derek's car. They would meet Meredith at the hospital.

Meredith and Derek were both incredible surgeons and could have easily assessed and managed Sophia's condition but this was their daughter. A bond like that always clouded the judgement of a doctor which was why they relied on Lauren. She was close to the little girl but she could step back and do her job without her relationship affect her work.

**Thoughts? Will Sophia be ok?**

**I really need your help on some names for Lauren and Alex's little boy. Nothing seems to go with Karev**


	20. Chapter 20

Lauren took Sophia up to the NICU quickly with Teddy, Derek and Meredith hot on her heels. They were soon joined by Carolyn who went back to an empty apartment and knew the only other place Lauren could be was the hospital. Lauren tried to start her exam on the month old baby but everyone was in her ear asking about how Sophia was.

"Alright, everyone out. I can't work with you lot in my ear" Lauren snapped and waited for her family to walk out of the NICU before going back to working on Sophia. Doing all the necessary tests, she discovered her niece had pneumonia. It was a serious respiratory condition for anyone but especially serious in babies as young as Sophia. Ordering oxygen and antibiotics, Lauren wrote it all up on Sophia's chart before informing Meredith and Derek of what was going on.

Carolyn stayed out in the hall as Meredith and Derek went into the NICU to see their daughter. They were just worried parents in that ward not the Neurosurgeons they were known to be. It was such a strange side to see of Meredith and Derek.

"How is she?" Teddy asked as she joined Lauren and Carolyn outside of the NICU. She'd taken the time to check on a patient of her own while Lauren examined Sophia.

"Pneumonia. I've got her on oxygen and antibiotics and I'll keep her here for a few days to make sure she's ok"

"You really should sit down Lauren" Carolyn insisted and tried to take Lauren's arm. Shaking her Mom's grip, Lauren took a step away

"Mom, I'm fine"

"No, you're still healing..."

"I got paged..." Lucy panted as she came to a stop by Lauren and Teddy "Sophia Shepherd's here?"

"Handled" Lauren nodded trying to ignore the pain in her side. It wasn't that bad but uncomfortable all the same. Lucy noticed Lauren fiddling with Sophia's chart in her left hand as her right arm was motionless. It may not have seemed strange to anyone else but Lucy knew Lauren was right handed and did very little with her left.

"Uh Mrs Shepherd, why don't you go in and see Sophia? I just want to speak to Lauren and Dr Altman about another case" Lucy smiled and opened the NICU door for Carolyn. She waited until Carolyn was beside her son before pulling Lauren and Teddy to the nurses' station. "I want the truth Shepherd"

"Sophia has pneumonia. I've got her on oxygen and antibiotics" Lauren told her a little confused as to what she meant.

"Not about Sophia, about you. On a scale of one to ten, how's the pain?"

"I'm fine"

"Don't sugar coat it Lauren. You know how pain like yours can put stress on the baby" Lucy demanded

"Ok it's an eight but if I have to stay off my feet for another week I will go crazy. Helping Sophia was the highlight of my week" Lauren sighed and held onto her side gently "Not even re-runs of 'Friends' could cheer me up"

"If I get Torres to wrap it will you promise me to stay on your oncology ward, away from the OR and that you will call me if something feels wrong"

"Promise"

"Fine" Lucy softened "Only because we like you and we miss you. This place is boring with the Residents and all their little drama"

"You two need a life or boyfriends" Lauren laughed shaking her head gently "There's a fresh group of interns starting next week, you can keep up with Seattle Grace tradition"

"You are gross, get up to Torres already" Teddy chuckled and started pushing Lauren toward the elevator "Lucy and I can do better than interns"

"I hear Avery is good... y'know" Lauren giggled only to be pushed harder "And Teddy, you've been there with Mark"

"You slept with Mark Sloan?" Lucy gasped at Teddy as the cardio surgeon's face slowly turned red

"Oops sorry we have to go" Teddy laughed as the elevator doors opened and she pushed Lauren inside. Quickly pushing the floor they wanted, she waved to Lucy "See you later Luce!"

"And you say the Residents are entertainment. I missed you guys"

XXXXX

"Why do I always seem to find you in a comfortable chair, holding a child?" Alex laughed as he walked into the NICU and pulled up a chair beside Lauren who was holding Sophia gently. Still hooked up to the IV antibiotics and oxygen, Sophia had just settled in her aunt's arms. It was some time before six in the morning but Lauren was still wide awake.

"What are you doing back? I didn't think you'd be back til tonight"

"Meredith paged thinking I was still here but when I called the hospital the nurses said you came in. Avery and I were still on a high from the game so we decided to drive back early. How are you feeling?"

"Strapped and happy. Fields caved and let me come back to work if Torres wrapped my ribs like I'd asked her to do a week ago" she smiled rocking Sophia back and forth gently keeping her calm. "Oncology ward only"

"This isn't the oncology ward" he chuckled watching his niece slumber in Lauren's arms.

"Sophia's just a little more important at the moment. Mere and Derek fell asleep a few hours ago and Sophia started fussing about ten minutes before you got here. A little human contact is proven to help in the healing process... not just for babies" Lauren told Alex before looking up at him as she finished her sentence. He had been afraid to be close to Lauren after she was kicked by the teenage patient if he accidently hurt her.

"I know, I'm sorry. You're fragile"

"No, Sophia is fragile. I am just a little bruised"

"I'm sorry" he sighed and kissed her forehead softly before gently taking Sophia from her arms. Setting his niece back into her crib, he made sure she was asleep and turned back to Lauren "I'm just scared I'll hurt you"

"Don't be scared. It takes a lot to hurt me" she chuckled and took Alex's hands gently "This coming from a girl who fell out of a 12 foot tree and only sprained my wrist"

"Superwoman huh?"

"Almost"

"Would Superwoman like me to take her home? You've been up all night with Sophia. You can come back to work tomorrow. Ease into it plus I missed you"

"Can I walk out of the hospital this week? Pretty please?" Lauren laughed as she stood up and nudged Alex gently.

"Oh alright... just this once" Alex chuckled

**Thoughts?**

**Sophia is going to be ok and just a little bit of cute Alex and Lauren. The next few chapters might jump a couple months**


	21. Chapter 21

**8 Weeks Later**

Lauren put her feet up on the empty chair in front of her as she waited for Teddy to join her for lunch. Sitting in Derek's OR Gallery, it was the closest she'd gotten to surgery in almost a month. The only time she got closer since breaking her ribs, Lauren had to coach Alex on a cancer surgery from a chair in the OR. She got to monitor vital signs while Alex resected one of the largest liver tumours Lauren had ever seen in a fifteen year old.

Teddy flopped into the chair beside Lauren five minutes later and put her feet up as well. Dangling a salad in front of the cardio surgeon until she took it, Lauren nudged Teddy waiting for her to spill the reason behind her frown. She stayed silent as she played with the packaging on her lunch.

"You haven't had time for lunch with me in ages. What gave you time today?" Lauren asked hoping her question was subtle enough but to the point.

"No surgery..." she answered softly

"No triple bypass like it said on the board?"

"No triple bypass"

"Oh no Teddy, I'm sorry" Lauren sighed softly thinking that Teddy had lost her patient before she got the chance to operate.

"The patient is still alive; I just got kicked out of the OR"

"Kicked out of the OR? By who?"

"Yang" Teddy sighed and finally opened up her salad "I let her take point on the bypass and I didn't agree on her surgery method so she asked to so kindly leave. Why can't they just go back to being residents? They suck as Attendings"

"I hear ya..."

"Karev stealing your surgeries?"

"Only because Torres won't let me back into the OR for another week" Lauren growled softly. The usual healing time for broken ribs was 6 weeks but Lucy bullied Callie into waiting an extra few weeks. Dr Webber refused to overrule either doctor no matter how hard Lauren begged. He'd had too many surgeons go back to work before they ready so he wasn't going to take his chances anymore.

"Another week?"

"I should be happy; it's the first time since I got to Seattle that all my paperwork is up to date. No more late nights for... I'll give it a week"

"Peace and quiet for a little while unless your Mom is still in town" Teddy smirked and nudged her gently. The thought of Lauren's pain always brought Teddy out of her funk.

"My mom went home two weeks ago but she'll be back in a few months. I love her dearly but I couldn't handle her here taking care of me" Lauren sighed softly "She made me feel like I was 12 and helpless"

"She was just trying to give you a hand but you're naturally stubborn. Unless you can control the situation, you hate asking for help"

Lauren opened her mouth to rebut that statement but she knew it was true. She'd always felt the need to control her environment and her actions. She liked being the Head of Paeds and having that control after settling behind her sisters, brother or even Arizona Robbins so much in the past. It was like she could finally have that power in her life.

"You work in one of the most unpredictable fields in medicine so you substitute the control you can't always have with cancer into the rest of your life"

"I thought you were a cardio surgeon not a psychologist"

"We all did our psych rotations..."

"I don't need you shrinking me; my sister does that enough for one lifetime" Lauren snapped softly "I know I'm stubborn and my Mom knows that too. We've clashed since I was a kid but nothing has changed. Even when she was sick we argued constantly about her treatment. It took all my energy trying to convince her to let me operate and it was Derek in the end anyway. My Dad used to say it was because we had such similar personalities. He would say we clashed like a Bull and a red handkerchief"

"And you say I'm the psychologist? Your Dad seemed to be on the ball"

"Kathleen thinks that's where she got her talent. Personally I think she's full of it sometimes but aren't all psychologists?"

"I don't know" Teddy chuckled and took a bit of her salad "You tell me"

"I..." Lauren began until her pager started beeping. Checking the message, she sighed thinking about the patient she had to see. Standing up, she handed Teddy her unopened bottle of orange juice before heading for the door "Hey, what are you doing tonight?" she asked as she quickly turned back to Teddy

"Nothing, I have no life, why?"

"Alex is on call and I have an unassembled crib being delivered to my apartment that he doesn't know about. Want to help me try to assemble it over Thai from the place on the corner you love?"

"I don't know anything about crib construction and isn't it a little early to be setting up a nursery?" she laughed and opened Lauren's juice "You've still got like 4 months"

"I know how to read an instruction manual and Alex kind of already painted the spare bedroom pale blue. I ordered the crib last week thinking it would be another month before it came. It's a surprise for Alex. Please help me..." Lauren begged with a desperate smile

"Only if you drag Lucy into this too. She should be the expert"

"I will even provide the wine. I'll be the designated constructor while you drink away your Yang drama"

"Perfect, I'm in. I'll see you tonight"

XXXXX

"Sophia has been asleep for a whole four hours for the first time in a month" Derek chuckled as he collapsed onto the bed beside a drowsy Meredith. They had both taken the sweet bliss of the past few hours to shower and relax. After beating pneumonia, Sophia's next milestone was sleeping through the night but that seemed like a distant achievement for Meredith and Derek. They were thankful that their little girl was healthy again and back on track to developing like a normal baby.

"When the baby sleeps, we sleep" she groaned softly and closed her eyes. All she wanted was some sleep. She was even too tired to appreciate her great husband.

"Sleeping"

"Sleep..."

Derek pulled Meredith close as they both drifted off into a deep and peaceful sleep. Slipping so deep neither of them realised it had only been twenty minutes until Sophia's screaming woke them up.

"I've got her, you sleep" Derek sighed softly as he kissed Meredith's forehead before getting up. Meredith dealt with Sophia's screaming all day while he was at work so it was the least he could do. Picking up his crying little girl, Derek took Sophia out into the hall and closed the bedroom door. "Hey baby girl" he cooed softly as he started to pace up and down the hall.

When Amelia was a baby, she could scream louder than the other four put together. She had so much trouble settling but she calmed right down when their father held her in his arms as he paced the length of the corridor. Derek tried it when Lauren couldn't settle the few nights after their father was killed so there was no hurt in him trying it on Sophia too.

Pacing the length of the corridor back and forth, the magic worked and Sophia calmed down in Derek's arms. Continuing to pace even after Sophia had settled, Derek wanted to give Meredith as much time as possible before putting Sophia down and there was a possibility of her crying again. He also just wanted to spend the quiet time with his daughter. Cutting down his surgery workload quite significantly, Derek still hated being away from his little girl while he was at work. He would never forgive himself if he missed some of her major milestones in the first few months of her life.

**Thoughts?**

**I was a pain as a baby (so I've been told) so my Dad used to pace the corridor with me. Works like a charm... apparently**


	22. Chapter 22

"Keep walking you two" Lauren chuckled as she pushed a stumbling and giggling Teddy and Lucy through the ER to an exam room. Wondering why his wife was back at the hospital at 2am, Alex followed them into the exam room and watched as Lauren set her two friends up on the bed. Lauren quickly ordered the nurse to bring her two banana bags and IV kits.

"What are you doing back? What happened?"

"Banana bags" she chuckled and pushed Teddy back onto the gurney after she tried to get up with a laugh. Pushing Lucy slightly, Lauren let Lucy lean over keeping Teddy still as she snoozed. "These two failed to mention that they both had surgeries at six this morning"

"How much have they drunk tonight?"

"Between them? About three bottles of red wine"

"And you got them here from Joe's by yourself?"

"I got them from our apartment by myself. We were... having a girl's night. Thai food and red wine, water for me" Lauren chuckled quickly remembering that the crib they attempted to assemble was a surprise for Alex. Pulling on a set of gloves, Lauren started to set an IV in Lucy's arm as Alex started putting one in Teddy's "If they didn't have surgeries then I would have just let them crash"

"It's good you brought them in, they can suffer through their hangovers all day"

"It will be torture" she laughed and pulled off her gloves once she'd hung Lucy's banana bag. Hissing softly, the fingernail she's accidently bashed with the hammer when assembling the crib throbbed. She wasn't known for being a clutz but now she was getting a reputation.

"What happened to your nail? It's black" Alex asked and took Lauren's hand gently "Did you jam it in a door or something?"

"Yeah, car door on my way home from work" she lied with a shrug "It hurts but it's f..."

"You hit it with the hammer remember?" Teddy piped up with a giggle and made the motion of a hammer with her hand

"A hammer?" Alex asked curiously

"She's drunk, she's delusional" Lauren chuckled

"Nah you were building the... the... the crib and you hit your hand with the hammer" Lucy added with a slur and a laugh. Rolling her eyes, Lauren hated both Lucy and Teddy in that moment. She'd deal with them later

"The crib? What crib?"

"You two suck as drunks" Lauren sighed and pulled Alex away from her drunken friends "We weren't having a girl's night, they were supposed to be helping me assemble the crib I ordered but three bottles of wine got in the way" she chuckled "It was meant to be a surprise for you"

Alex pulled on Lauren's jeans to bring her closer and kissed her forehead softly "It will be perfect" he smiled and looked over her shoulder at Teddy and Lucy "You go home and get some sleep, I'll take care of tweedle dumb and tweedle dumber over there"

"I don't have a surgery til this afternoon so I'll stay and keep an eye on them. Could you help me get them to an on call room? Let them sleep it off while their bodies suck up the banana bag"

Alex nodded and pulled Teddy up while Lauren took Lucy. Already half asleep, Lucy was easier to move than jittering Teddy. After a few breakaways, Alex finally got Teddy to the on call room with Lauren and Lucy tagging along behind. Lauren set herself up on a bed where she could watch her friends and maybe get some sleep herself.

Pulling out one of the many baby books Meredith had given her, Lauren read until Teddy and Lucy fell asleep. Even though she did her neo-natal fellowship with Addison back in New York and knew what to expect, Lauren still read every book and article she could get her hands on. She wanted to know absolutely everything about her pregnancy and what to expect when her son arrived. A perfectionist at heart, Lauren didn't want anything to surprise her.

Falling asleep not long after both Teddy and Lucy started snoring loudly, Lauren made sure she set an alarm on her cell before she got drowsy.

A couple hours later Lauren woke up to the alarm while her two friends slept soundly. After spoiling the surprise and barely helping with the crib, Lucy and Teddy deserved a little payback. Lauren got up and flicked on the lights before pulling the pillows from under their heads. They both groaned loudly as they discovered their pounding headaches and IV's still in their arms.

"So nice of you two to join us in the land of the sober" Lauren laughed and started pulling out Lucy's IV "You both have surgeries in half an hour so I suggest you get a very large cup of coffee. You're only working on about 3 hours sleep"

"What happened last night?" Lucy asked rubbing her hand as Lauren moved onto the removal of Teddy's IV "All I remember is pulling parts of the crib out of the box then the rest is a little hazy"

"That's because you two drank three bottles of wine"

"Three...?"

"And you're going to feel every last drop"

"How did we end up here? I vaigly remember being in the ER"

"Banana bags" Lauren chuckled and pointed to the IV poles by their beds "You both told me you had surgeries that couldn't possibly be pushed so here we are"

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Lucy sighed, glaring up at Lauren through her hands

"Just a little because you guys say some of the funniest things when drunk plus you spoiled the crib surprise. Your pain in my entertainment today"

"You suck"

"And you two have surgery" Lauren laughed and picked up her pregnancy book before walking toward the door "Have a good day..."

Teddy and Lucy got themselves up slowly once Lauren had left. They both got themselves the biggest cup of coffee they could find as well as a couple aspirin before going into their surgeries. Both feeling like they wanted to just pass out in the middle of their surgeries, Lucy and Teddy pushed through and made sure their conditions didn't affect their patients. It was unfair to the patients to have any less that their best work no matter how bad they felt.

Lucy collapsed into a chair behind the nurse's station on the surgical floor and put her feet up. Laying back in the chair, she closed her eyes as her headache still pounded in her ears. Alex walked up to the nurse's station and swapped out his patient's charts laughing at Lucy. He then noticed Teddy appear at the desk after finishing surgery looking no better than Lucy.

"You guys look like crap" he laughed and wrote the notes for his patient

"This is all your fault" Lucy growled as she quickly sat up and regretting it immediately. Resting her head in her hands, she waited for her head to stop spinning before glaring up at Alex "If your wife didn't ask us to help put together the crib for the baby that you caused then we wouldn't have drunk the three bottles of wine you had in your apartment. This all boils down to you Karev"

"Yeah, what she said" Teddy sighed and leaned on the desk with a groan. The pain in her head seemed the just spread to her entire body. "I have never had a hangover so bad before"

"It was the Thai food mixed with the red wine" Lucy piped up trying to find an explanation for why she felt so awful.

"It was just all the red wine" he chuckled and put his pen back into his pocket "Thanks for telling me about the crib though. Now I can finish it and be the hero. You guys are the best"

"You suck"

"So we did tell you about the crib? I seriously don't remember that" Teddy grumbled, a little annoyed that she didn't remember spoiling the surprise.

"You were drunk" Alex laughed as he picked up his chart "You still seem a little drunk... just saying"

**Thoughts? Just needed a little three musketeers (Mark, Callie and Arizona aren't the three musketeers anymore). The next chapter will skip a little further.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Three and a Half Months Later**

"I never realised how easy it would be to keep your wife away from home for us to set this baby shower up" Lucy laughed as she walked along the Paeds corridor with Alex. He needed her for a quick consult before she took his keys and started setting up a surprise baby shower for Lauren.

"She wants to work as much as she can before this baby comes. I keep telling her to take it easy but she's stubborn" Alex shrugged with a chuckle. No matter how many times he tried to suggest to Lauren than maybe she slowed down, she continued on like she wasn't eight months pregnant and 3 weeks away from her due date. She was going on maternity leave in two days so she was working til she could no more.

"She's a junkie"

"We'll start a 12 step program when my son is born" he chuckled until he noticed Lauren waddle up beside them.

"Why am I starting a 12 step program?" Lauren laughed knowing Lucy must have called her a junkie again.

"Because you need to learn to take a break from work... starting tomorrow"

"Starting tomorrow? I thought you of all people wanted me out today. I'm your most annoying and determined patient"

"You are which is why if I told you to finish today, you would refuse hence suggesting tomorrow" Lucy smirked "I have a better chance of you finally realising that you only have three weeks til this baby comes"

"I know it is only three weeks, he has had hiccups all morning" Lauren chuckled "Try performing an appendectomy on a six year old with a child bouncing inside of you"

"Not ever gonna happen thank God" Alex laughed and quickly kissed Lauren's cheek softly "My bowel obstruction got cancelled; the kid passed the scrabble tiles so I will see you for lunch?"

"Sounds great, see you then" she smiled as he told Lucy he'd meet her in their patients room before he walked off "At least someone doesn't ditch me. How can you and Teddy both have the afternoon off?"

"Just lucky" Lucy smirked and kept walking as Lauren stopped outside her patient's room "See you tomorrow"

"Uh-huh"

Lucy continued on to meet Alex for the consult he needed. Dealing with a surprisingly compliant patient, they were in and out quicker than she expected. She took Alex's keys before they could have bumped into Lauren again and promised she wouldn't trash their apartment too much in the process of setting up the party.

XXXXX

"What took you so long?" Teddy growled to Lucy softly as she shivered waiting outside Lauren's apartment with Amelia and Nancy who had flown in especially for the baby shower. All four women were carrying boxes of decorations, food and baskets of presents for the party. Carolyn had plans to come to Seattle three weeks later when the baby was born so Nancy brought their mother's stack of presents. She was in remission from her stomach cancer but so many flights in such a short time were exhausting for her.

"Karev needed a consult not that I'm late. You three are early" Lucy laughed as she opened up Lauren's apartment building and got out of the cold. It had to be one of the coldest days Seattle had experienced in a long time and Teddy, Amelia and Nancy were just thankful to get into the warmth. "Y'know Lauren is suspicious that we both have the afternoon off" she chuckled to Teddy as they made their way upstairs.

"So me going to the hospital would really tip her off then?" Amelia laughed as she carried a large basket that Nancy, Carolyn and Kathleen had all filled for Lauren. How Nancy got it on the plane over was a mystery to Amelia.

"Uh, yeah" Teddy chuckled "She's going to love having you guys here though. Wasn't Addison coming with you Amelia?"

"She's on her way. Something about lunch with Mark and Derek at Joe's. She made sure she stayed away from the hospital"

"Good" Lucy smiled as she opened the door to Lauren and Alex's apartment "So Karev tells me Lauren has been on a baking fix when the baby kicks in the middle of the night so there are a couple dozen cupcakes we can decorate" she chuckled and put down the boxes as the other three followed.

"And they'll be really good. Lauren's the only one that can bake as good as our Mom" Nancy smiled as she started pulling out blue and white streamers "She used to make the best pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving"

"Kathleen will never forget that. She hates that Lauren can bake better than her" Amelia laughed.

"In just over a year that we have known her, she has never baked for us. That's just unfair"

"Maybe she likes us better" Nancy chuckled

"No chance" Lucy and Teddy chimed in unison

Lucy, Teddy, Amelia and Nancy all started setting up the blue and white streamers, blew up balloons and set out all the food. As the others from the hospital arrived later that afternoon once their shifts finished, the food multiplied as did the presents. All the girls at the hospital loved a good party especially without the boys who had a night at Joe's planned.

"I brought wine!" Bailey laughed as she walked into Lauren and Alex's apartment with Callie and Arizona. She sounded a little like she'd already opened the bottle as she greeted Addison and Amelia. Meredith, Cristina and Lexie walked in a few minutes later carrying Sophia and her baby bag. Sophia was quickly passed around much like she was at any gathering. Meredith made her way through to the kitchen to Lucy who was frosting the last of Lauren's cupcakes.

"I am so sorry about bringing Sophia. Derek decided to go to Joe's and I couldn't bear to think of leaving Sophia with a sitter yet" she apologised as she started helping set the cupcakes on a plate

"Don't even worry about it. I wouldn't have left her with a sitter yet either. It's too hard to let go" Lucy smiled "Lauren adores that little girl so it will be no problem"

"Speaking of Lauren, is she coming soon?"

"Alex will be here in about five minutes. Lauren walks a little slower than normal these days" Lucy chuckled and picked up the plate of cupcakes and took them to the living room. Everyone got settled in their hiding spots a few minutes later as Lucy got word of Alex and Lauren being in the building.

"I know we only live on the first floor but these stairs are going to kill me one day" Lauren chuckled as she slowly waddled up the stairs to their apartment.

"These is an elevator, you know that right?" Alex smirked and continued to help Lauren up the stairs

"Which I will use when I have the stroller"

"You're too damn stubborn"

"And you love me for it" she laughed as they got to their apartment door. Leaning in, she kissed Alex softly before opening the door and walking into a dark apartment. Alex flicked on the lights as everyone jumped out yelling 'Surprise!' Lauren laughed softly and looked back at Alex "You?"

"Lucy and Teddy actually, I just gave them my keys" Alex chuckled and kissed her cheek "And with that I say goodbye. I'll see you ladies later" he smiled and waved to everyone before leaving. He wasn't about to be sucked into the oestrogen festival that was the baby shower.

"This explains why you two had the afternoon off. Thank you for this" Lauren smiled as Teddy and Lucy came up to her and gave her a warm hug

"We must be pretty good if you didn't know what was going on" Teddy chuckled as they made their way to the couch. As much as Lauren was determined to stay active, her feet were killing her. All she wanted was to sit down and enjoy the party.

"I had a feeling something was happening when Lexie had blue gift ribbon hanging out of her lab coat pocket and couldn't tell me what it was for" she laughed and watched Lexie's face go bright red. Lexie was smart and had a photographic memory but she couldn't keep a secret. When Lauren asked her about the ribbon she made up some lame excuse and ran off.

"Nice work Lexipedia" Cristina laughed

"Be nice, it's cute she worked so hard to keep a secret"

**Thoughts?**

**More on the baby shower next chapter. I may just reveal the baby's name. Any thoughts as to what it might be?**


	24. Chapter 24

"You cannot be comfortable" Amelia laughed as she watched her heavily pregnant sister sit cross legged on the couch. She'd hardly moved all night as the baby shower went on. All the guests just seemed to move around Lauren even as they said their goodbyes.

"It's the most comfortable I've been all day. He's just sort of settled"

"Sophia rarely settled but when she did, her foot was always pressed up under my diaphragm" Meredith chuckled as she rocked her daughter gently in her arms. After being passed around for most of the night, it wasn't until almost everyone had left that Sophia was back with her Mom.

Lauren, Lucy, Teddy, Meredith and Amelia seemed to be the only ones still at the apartment after the others left because of work early the next morning. Nancy and Addison both had to be back in their respective cities early the next morning much to Lauren's dismay. She hated that her time with her sister and ex-sister-in-law was so short now that she lived in Seattle. Lauren couldn't go back to New York now, her life was in Seattle.

"Yeah he does the same, that or uses my bowel for a pillow" Lauren laughed "Every time I say 'he' I want to use a name but Alex and I can't decide"

"You haven't picked a name yet?" Amelia gasped slightly judgemental

"At least I'm not as bad as Mom. She hadn't even thought of a name til she saw your ugly little mug"

"Hey...!"

"You might be the same and just need to see him before you know exactly what to call him" Lucy shrugged "I've had so many mothers not decide for hours after their kids are born"

"What have you narrowed it down to?"

"James, Benjamin and Nathan"

"Boring" Amelia chuckled and nudged Lauren gently "You already have a nephew named Nathan so that one's out"

"I like Hunter and Sebastian as well but they're a little out there" Lauren shrugged and stood up. Everyone instinctly braced themselves as she stumbled slightly but found her feet "I'm just getting a glass of water, relax" she laughed as she made her way to the kitchen. The other women began talking amongst themselves while Lauren was out of the room.

Lauren reached up for a glass only to collapse down in a burst of pain. Her slip went unnoticed so she steadiest herself and took a deep breath. Assessing her body both what she could see and feel, Lauren realised her water had just broken.

"Uh Lucy? Can I see you in the kitchen for a minute?" she called out calmly. Her fear and excitement grew as Lucy slowly made her way to the kitchen after quickly finishing her glass of wine.

"What can I do for you?" Lucy chuckled and went to open the wine until she slipped slightly on something wet on the floor.

"I need you to deliver my son because my water just broke"

"Let's go then"

XXXXX

Alex raced through the ER frantically with Derek, Addison and Nancy close behind. Asking a nurse where Lauren was, he they sped toward the elevator when they were told she was already up on the OB floor. Slamming the 'up' button furiously, Alex was just anxious to get upstairs. Addison rubbed his back softly with a laugh as they stepped into the elevator.

"Nervous?" she chuckled

"Scared out of my mind" he smiled weakly. This wasn't supposed to happen for another three weeks. It wasn't that they weren't prepared for the baby, they were just meant to have three extra weeks.

"Yeah, that never goes away" Nancy assured him with a smile "You'll always be scared"

"Good to know..."

Alex was the first one out of the elevator when the doors opened. He raced down the halls til he found Lauren distressed and breathing through another contraction. Taking her hand, Alex let her squeeze it until the pain subsided.

"How far apart?"

"Seven minutes"

"That's quick, that's good" he smiled nervously. Lauren squeezed his hand once again in an attempt to calm him down. They were both anxious; Alex just showed it a little more than Lauren did. The next few contractions were alright but the pain changed and it worried both Alex and Lauren. Lucy raced in after being paged frantically and found Alex watching the baby monitor.

"She's almost eight centimetres dilated but the baby is not descending" Alex told her as if Lauren wasn't in the room or knew what was going on. Lucy looked at the monitor herself and came to the same conclusion. All three doctors knew the only reasonable solution.

"Lauren, we're going to have to do a c-section. This baby isn't coming out any other way"

"Do it" Lauren answered without having to think about it. Alex and Lucy looked at each other quickly before Lauren snapped them back to her "Do the c-section before he starts getting late D-cells. I did my Neo-Natal fellowship; I know what is going through your minds right now. Just do it"

"Alright then" Lucy nodded and ordered the nurse to start preparing Lauren for a c-section "He's going to be fine" she assured Lauren with a supportive smile

"I trust you"

**Thoughts?**

**I am still stumped on a name but I may throw a little drama in before they name the baby**


	25. Chapter 25

"Ok so Lucy is a nice woman and she may be Lauren's best friend but she is about to slice my sister's stomach open. That is not cool." Amelia sighed as she collapsed into the seat beside Derek up in Lucy's OR Gallery. Tapping her foot anxiously, she was scared for her sister no matter how many people told her that she would be fine.

"Will you please just calm down? You're making the rest of us nervous" Derek sighed lightly and shifted in his seat. He too was uneasy watching this operation but knowing Addison was observing from inside the OR made him feel a little better. It wasn't Lucy's idea to have Addison 'hovering' as she put it but Lauren begged to have another familiar face in there. Seeing the OR from the table wasn't exactly the most comforting angle.

"We just need Kathleen and it's Lauren's appendectomy all over again" Nancy chuckled as she tried to break the tension.

"She was 17..."

"And we were all sitting up in the Gallery watching. Mom thought Kathleen took us to the cafeteria but she used her hospital tag to get us in"

"Oh yeah I remember that now" Amelia laughed "We had popcorn. Mark and I were having a contest of who could shoot the most into the other's mouth"

"While your sister was in surgery?" Teddy asked with a chuckle. Mark nodded shamefully as he remembered that day "You're a very strange family"

"We know" Derek nodded and looked down into the OR in the hope of changing the subject. Watching Alex beside his wife, they all waited for Lucy to deliver the new addition to their family.

XXXXX

"Ok here we go" Lucy smiled as Alex moved away from Lauren's head to take the crying baby boy from her. Cleaning him up a little, Alex smiled down at his son before handing him to Lauren.

"Hey beautiful boy" she smiled and kissed his tiny forehead softly.

"Alex..." Lucy spoke up softly to get his attention but not to alarm Lauren. Once he looked up from his family, Lucy gestured him to come closer before asking him to take the baby. Just as Alex took the baby from Lauren's arms, she noticed the nurse put a gown and gloves on Addison.

"Lucy, what's going on?" Lauren asked as her voice started to shake.

"Alex is just going to clean the baby up and make sure he has all ten fingers and toes" Addison answered for a flustered Lucy who was caught off guard as Lauren started to haemorrhage. She didn't want to stress Lauren but the Paeds Oncologist already knew something was wrong.

"Addison...?" Alex asked anxiously fearing what was happening to his wife.

"Alex I need you to take the baby up to the nursery now" she ordered him with pleading eyes. Lucy and Addison couldn't focus on saving Lauren's life with Alex and his son in the OR.

"Pressure is dropping" Lucy gasped as she asked for another clamp "Alex please go!"

XXXXX

Everyone up in the Gallery was on the edge of their seats as they watched Addison and Lucy tried to control the bleeding. With tears streaming down her face, Amelia was frightened that she was going to lose her sister. Derek couldn't watch it anymore and raced out of the Gallery. Mark stood up to go after him but Nancy held him back. They both knew that Derek would just need some time until they saw him emerge in the OR with a gown, mask and gloves on.

XXXXX

"I will make sure she is ok" Derek assured Alex who was still hovering in the OR with a firm grasp on his son's incubator "I will look after her but you need to take care of your son. Clean him up and make sure he is ok"

Alex nodded weakly and rolled his son's incubator out of the OR leaving his wife in their hands. He wanted to stay with Lauren but he knew that his son needed him too. He could do more for his son than he could his wife. Taking the baby boy up to the nursery, he slowly started giving his son a bath before filling out a new chart.

"What name would you like me to put on his bracelet?" The Paeds nurse asked as she began writing the baby's blood type; date of birth and parents names on a tiny blue hospital bracelet.

"I uh, I don't know his name" Alex sighed softly and looked down at his son "We haven't decided on a name yet"

"Ok" she nodded and started to write 'Baby Boy' on the bracelet until she realised she didn't know what surname to put on "Dr Karev, would you like it to read 'Baby Boy Karev' or Baby Boy Shepherd-Karev'?"

"Shepherd-Karev. His surname is Shepherd-Karev, I know that much"

**Thoughts?**

**A little drama to spice up your life does wonders. Will Lauren be ok?**


	26. Chapter 26

Alex sat in the rocking chair in the corner of the room and held his son close to his chest. Rocking back and forth, his newborn son slept soundly on Alex's chest. In the hour after leaving Lauren in the OR, he bathed, dressed and examined his son. The baby passed with flying colours even though he was almost 3 weeks premature. They were lucky that the baby, although premature, had no problems. Even if he did, he would be in the best hands with two Paediatric Surgeons for parents.

Lauren slowly woke up and immediately scanned the room for Alex. She passed out during surgery when her blood pressure dropped dangerously low but if it wasn't for Addison and Lucy, she wouldn't have been waking up to see her son and husband waiting for her.

"Hey"

"Hey" he smiled and quickly stood up with the baby in his arms. Sitting on the edge of her bed, Alex moved close so Lauren could see and touch her little boy. Caressing his tiny head with her thumb, she looked between her son and her husband with a smile. "He has all ten fingers, all ten toes and he is perfectly healthy. We were lucky he didn't come any earlier"

"He's perfect"

"And what about you? How do you feel?"

"Sore" she chuckled "A little drained but apparently I lost a bit of blood"

"You scared me today" Alex sighed as he took her hand gently. Anything he felt when Lauren called him after she went into labour didn't compare to how frightened he was in that OR. He couldn't bear to think of life and raising this child without her.

"I know and I'm sorry. I swear I didn't plan it"

"Lauren..."

Lauren smiled and kissed Alex softly hoping to cheer him up a little. She was scared in that OR too but it was over and they were all ok. They had to look past it and know that they were going to be together for a long time with this beautiful little boy. Sitting up a little, Lauren took a deep breath until the pain subsided before taking her son from Alex and holding him in her arms. He was cute for a little pink and squishy baby.

"Shepherd-Karev?" she asked as she noticed his little hospital band "I thought we agreed on just Karev"

"I was scared I was going to lose you so I told the nurse it was Shepherd-Karev. I'd like to keep it if you don't mind" he shrugged with an embarrassed smile. It sounded stupid now that she was ok but he liked how their names sounded together.

"I'd like that. What is his first name then?"

"I was waiting for you to decide that. We still hadn't narrowed it down to one name this time yesterday" Alex chuckled and took his son's hand gently. His hands were so small; they weren't even big enough to go around Alex's one finger.

"I want you to name him. You know him better than I do"

"Only by one hour"

"You have bonded with him because you can't take your eyes off him. You can't have spent the last hour not thinking about his name" Lauren smiled and looked down at her son. She knew even then that this child was going to be daddy's little boy. He had Alex's light brown almost golden eyes instead of her murky blue eyes.

"When your Mom was in town and that patient kicked you, Carolyn and I talked quite a bit. Usually while you were sleeping and we both were too worried about you that we sat up half the night" Alex began with a soft chuckle. He had never told Lauren this before so the shocked and confused look on her face was no surprise "She told me that none of her grandsons' names were Christopher which was your Dad's name. She could never understand why Nancy or Kathleen hadn't used the name"

"They both wanted the name so neither of them used it. They couldn't decide who should have it" Lauren answered "My Mom had always hoped one of us used the name for more than a middle name"

"That is why I would like to name our son Christopher" he smiled "You keep a photo of you, Derek and your Dad in your wallet, you look at the family photo on the dresser that was taken when Amelia was born every night before bed and I can see in your eyes that you have missed him every day since he died. I want to honour that"

Lauren sniffed back a few tears and kissed Alex softly. Looking down at her son, she nodded. The name fit perfectly and her Dad would have been proud "Christopher Alexander"

"Alexander?"

"I'm going with the honouring the father concept"

"Alright, I'll give you that one" Alex smiled and kissed her again softly.

"I would say 'get a room' but I don't think you guys are ready for this one to have a little brother or sister just yet" Amelia laughed as she walked into Lauren's hospital room and saw her sister kissing her husband. Pulling away from Alex, Lauren kissed his forehead before looking over at Amelia who had Derek and Nancy following behind. "Good to see you alive Lauren" she chuckled

"I was never dead Amelia" Lauren smirked and glared at her sister playfully. Shrugging, Amelia sat down on the edge of Lauren's bed opposite Alex and tickled her new nephew's foot. She was doing anything in her power to avoid any further conversation on Lauren's operation. Looking up at her sister, Amelia smiled and when Lauren smiled back, she knew they understood each other. They'd always been able to have silent conversations like that when one was in danger.

"We are glad you're ok" Nancy smiled and stood with Derek at the end of the bed "He's a gorgeous little boy"

"What's his name? What's his name?" Amelia giggled and bounced lightly on the bed. She had never been this excited about any of Nancy or Kathleen's kids but this was Lauren, her best friend and closest sister. This little boy was special.

Lauren looked at Alex with a weak smile before turning to her brother and sisters' "We would like to call him Christopher, after Dad"

"It fits" Nancy nodded with a smile. As much as she wished she could have named one of her boys after their father, Nancy knew that Lauren had always been closer to him than anyone else. Lauren was only 10 when their father was killed but they had shared a special bond from day one. "Dad would have loved having you name this boy after him"

"She's right" Derek smiled. Noticing Mark, Lucy, Teddy and Addison at the door, he gestured for them to come in "I think you've got a few more visitors" he chuckled and leant in, kissing Lauren's forehead as Amelia stepped back "Congratulations little sister"

Derek moved away as the stream of visitors entered the room and marvelled over Lauren's little boy. Smiling, he left the room so Lauren could enjoy her new family with her friends. Alex excused himself from the group gathered and followed Derek out into the hall.

"Derek, wait up" he called out and caught up with him "I just wanted to thank you for looking after Lauren in the OR when I left"

"I didn't do anything really"

"You were there and that was enough so thank you"

"Anytime" Derek smiled "She's my little sister"

**Thoughts?**

**Did you all like the name Christopher Alexander?**


	27. Chapter 27

**Two Months Later**

Lauren pinned her ID tag to her scrubs for the first time since Christopher was born and did it with a smile. Only back for two days a week, she was thankful for the time she got to spend with her son but she needed to be back at work. Noticing Lucy, Teddy and Arizona with their backs turned all at the nurses' station updating charts, Lauren skipped up and squeezed herself between Teddy and Arizona.

"I just realised that I don't have any brunette friends. You three are all blonde"

"Go figure, Shep" Lucy chuckled knowing Lauren was coming back to work today. Teddy and Arizona hadn't been informed so they were both shocked and excited to see their friend.

"You're back" Teddy shrieked happily and hugged Lauren. Arizona got in on the embrace as she expressed how happy she was to have Lauren back at the hospital. "Why didn't you tell us you were coming back today?"

"I wanted to surprise you" she laughed and nudged Teddy gently who was genuinely disappointed that she wasn't told. Noticing this, Lauren pulled a photo out of her pocket and handed it to Teddy "Will this cheer you up?"

Teddy looked down at the photo and it was of Christopher wearing the 'Baby Doctor' jumpsuit that she'd bought months ago. "That is gorgeous"

"It's a little big on him but he will grow into it and get a lot of wear out of it. It's Alex's favourite after the mini Iowa Hawkeyes Football jersey his sister Amber sent"

"You left Karev on solo baby duty today?" Lucy chuckled as she shut her patient's chart "You have your cell phone in your pocket just in case right?"

"Alex is a Paediatric Surgeon and is great with kids. They will be fine" Lauren laughed "He'll probably be the one calling me every half an hour to check on me. I almost postponed coming back to work because Christopher coughed this morning" she sighed slightly embarrassed. Already missing her son, Lauren knew both Alex and Christopher would be fine. "He didn't have a fever, nothing. It was just a cough and I freaked. Alex laughed at me for a good five minutes"

"Aw you're a scared mommy, it's cute" Arizona laughed and nudged Lauren gently. Dr Bailey came up beside Robbins and picked up her own patient's chart. She'd heard the last of their conversation and remembered when her own little boy was born.

"You better hope the Chief doesn't start 'Mommy Tracking' you like he did when I had Tuck"

"Mommy Tracking?"

"Keeps you out of surgery so you can 'rest'. Stupid and pointless if you ask me"

"I'm only here two days a week with a couple surgeries" Lauren chuckled and turned to Bailey "If he deprives me of that much I'll use the many hormones swarming inside of me for evil rather than good"

"Motherhood has done you well" Bailey laughed and bid them all farewell before walking off to see her patient.

"Now not all your friends are blonde" Lucy pointed out as Bailey walked away "Bailey is a brunette"

"Bailey has black hair" Lauren smirked and took a chart from the nurse behind the desk "I'll see you ladies later, I have a surgery to do" she chuckled as she skipped off. As much as she missed Christopher, she was glad to be back at work. Heading up to her oncology ward, Lauren wanted to see her kids before going into surgery.

It was one of the best feelings to be back at work but Lauren couldn't help but miss her son and husband. That pulling feeling at the pit of her stomach didn't let up the entire way through surgery. Walking into the scrub room after she'd successfully removed a ten year old's pituitary tumour, Lauren quickly washed her hands and pulled out her cell phone. Hitting speed dial, she waited for Alex to answer.

"You couldn't even go four hours before calling us?" Alex chuckled softly. He'd just gotten Christopher bathed and changed so he was slightly exhausted. Christopher wasn't a fan of the bath tub so he squirmed a lot.

"I think four hours is pretty good thank you" she laughed and leant against the sink "I just finished surgery and thought I'd give you a call"

"How was surgery? Is it good to be back?"

"Yeah it is, I needed this" Lauren smiled "I missed having you in there with me though"

"That's what we have Derek and those god-mother friends of yours. They can babysit while we operate together" Alex chuckled referring to Teddy, Arizona and Lucy who were Christopher's joint god-mothers'. Lauren couldn't think of anyone better considering they would all be very prominent in her son's life. They were her lifeline at that hospital and her best friends.

"I'll put the idea to them, I'm sure they'd all be happy to oblige"

"I'm sure they would now would you go back to work and stop worrying about Christopher and I?"

"Yes dear" she laughed "Can you do me one thing before I go please? Can you put the phone up to his ear?"

"Lauren..."

"I know it's lame but can you do it please?"

"Alright" Alex chuckled and leant over the edge of the crib and held the phone to Christopher's tiny ear.

"Hey baby boy" Lauren smiled and sniffed back a tear. Being away from him was harder than she thought "You be good for Daddy, I'll be home soon. I love you"

"He loves you too" Alex answered a few moments once he'd pulled the phone back up to his own ear. "Go back to work"

"Going..." she laughed

"And don't come home early no matter how much you want to. Make sure Fields and Altman keep you hostage ok?"

"I'm not going to tell them that because then they will"

"Good thing I texted it to them. They intend to follow my wishes because you need it" Alex laughed evilly "My son would like to watch a baseball game with his father, gotta go"

"You're evil..."

"I know, bye"

"Bye" she laughed and hung up. Looking down at the phone for a minute, that really was what she needed. Wiping her eyes, she stuffed her cell back into her pocket and went back to work.

Lauren even surprised herself and managed to get through an entire shift without calling home again. It did help that Lucy confiscated her phone through lunch just so she wouldn't be tempted. Although she resisted, Lauren even got through a drink at Joe's before having to go home and seeing her family.

It was a learning experience but Lauren needed that time at work with her friends to appreciate coming home to Alex asleep on the couch with Christopher asleep on his chest. Putting Christopher in his crib first, Lauren then went back and draped a blanket over Alex. He looked too exhausted to move. Going to bed herself, Lauren got one of the best night's sleep she'd had in a long time.

**Thoughts?**

**I think I might end it there. Sorry for the major delay in updates. I didn't know what I wanted to write for this chapter. Should I end it here?**


	28. Chapter 28

Lauren walked behind the main floor nurses' station and started looking for her patient's chart. The new intern Lexie had so kindly assigned to her service was hopeless and couldn't remember where he'd left the chart for Lauren's five year old pancreatic tumour patient. Turning around to look in another rack of charts, the incompetent intern scared Lauren as he held out the patient's chart.

"Here you go Dr Shepherd" he smiled nervously.

"Shepherd?" A blonde woman asked from the other side of the nurses' station. Snatching the chart from the intern, Lauren dismissed him down to the clinic hoping he wouldn't kill anyone while he was there "Derek didn't stay with Meredith oh my god!" the woman gasped as she stared at Lauren.

"They're still married don't worry" Lauren chuckled awkwardly. She had no clue who this woman was but she seemed so invested in the lives of her brother and sister-in-law. "I'm Derek's younger sister Lauren"

"Oh" she sighed with relief "I was scared that things had ended between them for good. They've broken up so many times before but they've always made it back to each other"

"Uh yeah. Do you want me to page Derek for you? Are you an old intern of his or friends with Meredith?"

"I'm actually looking for Al..."

"Izzie?" Meredith gasped at the sight of her old friend and raced up to her giving her a warm hug. No matter how things ended between them a few years back, it was still Izzie.

"Meredith" she squealed softly and returned the embrace "I was just saying to Derek's sister, oh my god Derek has another sister that I thought you and Derek were over"

Meredith looked between Izzie and Lauren anxiously wondering why they would be talking about that. She then realised that Izzie mustn't have known who Lauren was actually married to. It may not be a pleasant moment when she found out that her ex-husband had re-married and had a son. Izzie had always been the fragile one so caution would definitely have to be taken.

"We're still going strong, and you've met Derek's sister" Meredith smiled nervously

"Ok good and I was looking for Alex actually"

"You're an old friend?" Lauren asked softly. She knew all about Alex's past but she'd never met Izzie. In a small way, Lauren was hoping that this wasn't the right one.

"Ex-wife"

"You're that Izzie"

"Lauren..." Meredith sighed anxiously

"Alex has the day off today but I will give him a call and let him know you're here" Lauren nodded and started backing out of the nurses' station.

"That would be so great thank you" Izzie smiled as Lauren began walking away.

Meredith told Izzie she would be back and caught up with Lauren further down the hall "So that's my husband's ex-wife"

"At least that was more civil than how I met Addison for the first time" Meredith chuckled softly. Anything would have been better than Addison turning up looking incredible and telling Meredith that she must have been the woman who was screwing her husband.

"That's because she doesn't know I exist. She doesn't know Christopher exists either does she?"

"None of us have spoken to Izzie since she finalised the divorce. It's been a couple years"

"I don't know if Alex even wants to see her"

"Call him and find out..." Meredith shrugged and nudged her sister-in-law gently. They would never get through this if she didn't call Alex. He was the one Izzie was there for "I will keep Izzie busy while you talk to Alex. Page me with what Alex decides to do"

"Hey Meredith?" Lauren asked quickly before she walked away "Is it wrong to feel jealous if he does want to see her?"

"No..."

"Ok good"

XXXXX

Running her hands through her hair, Lauren couldn't sit still as she waited for Alex. He wanted to know what it was Izzie wanted but he was equally worried about what it was.

"You look stressed Shep" Lucy laughed and sat down beside Lauren. Sliding a bottle of water across to her friend, Lucy had to nudge Lauren just to get her attention "What's wrong?"

"Alex's ex-wife is here and she wants to see him"

"Ok wow. Have you met her before?"

"I was the first one she spoke to when she got here but she doesn't know who I am"

"That's probably for the best" Lucy insisted. Nothing good could come from meeting the ex-wife not that she had much experience. "Do you really want her to know who you are?"

"She might have to know how Christopher though" Lauren sighed softly "I have a transplant surgery this afternoon, I can't re-schedule that and before you ask the hospital day care won't take him. They've had a measles outbreak and they're not taking any babies under 6 months"

"Shame you can't take him into surgery with you, he'd be cute all dressed up in a mask and one of Alex's scrub caps" Lucy stopped giggling when she noticed Lauren's 'you can't be serious' expression. She was not impressed and not much could cheer her up. This ex-wife was really eating at her.

"Hey" Alex smiled as he walked over to the pair and set Christopher's carrier on the table. Leaning across, Lauren kissed him softly before he sat down and put Christopher's bag by her feet. "I don't want to do this now" he sighed

"Then why did you come?" Lucy chuckled as she pulled Christopher from his carrier and rocked him in her arms gently.

"I don't know. I guess if I don't see Izzie then she won't leave til I do"

"Is this Izzie blonde?" Lucy asked warily as she looked over Alex's shoulder at a woman walking toward them

"Yeah..."

"Was she wearing a brown jacket and a red scarf when you spoke to her this morning Lauren?"

Lauren caught Lucy's eye line and sighed softly. It wasn't that she was scared of how Izzie would react, she was just uneasy about the situation. Alex didn't really want to see her and he was so anxious his leg hadn't stopped shaking since he sat down. Lauren worried more for Alex than anyone right then. Things didn't end so well with Izzie so he was worried about how she would react to him actually being married again with a son.

Resting her hand on Alex's knee gently, she silently assured him that everything would be ok.

"Hey Alex" Izzie smiled softly. Taking a deep breath, Alex stood up and turned to his ex-wife "You look good"

"No I don't, I look tired" he chuckled

"You're a surgeon, you're always tired"

"I have a great surgery schedule actually. I have a pretty flexible Paeds fellowship"

"How did you manage that?" Izzie asked as she shuffled her feet. She felt a little awkward talking to Alex in the middle of cafeteria in front of Derek's sister and a baby. Taking Christopher from Lucy, Lauren noticed her son had a fever. Not wanting to interrupt, she knew she had to before taking her son upstairs to check him for the cause of his fever.

"Alex? Sorry I don't mean to interrupt" Lauren began with a nervous smile "Did you notice Christopher had a fever earlier?"

"He was fine earlier"

"Ok, I'm just going to take him upstairs, I'll catch up with you later" she nodded and set her son down in his carrier before taking him inside with Lucy. Always a little paranoid if Christopher was getting sick, Lauren just wanted to make sure he was ok. Lucy insisted Christopher faked a fever just to get them out of that cafeteria. If he was going to be the godson she was going to make sure he was then the fake fever was genius.

"I thought Derek's sister said you had the day off. Why were you caring for a patient on your day off?" Izzie asked as she sat down in the seat Lauren just vacated. Alex sat across from her and fiddled with the sleeve of his shirt for a moment trying to think about how to word his next sentence.

"Christopher, his name is Christopher and he isn't a patient. He's my son" Alex began and watched Izzie's face slowly slip into an expression of disbelief "I was at home today looking after him because Derek's sister whose name is Lauren by the way, has a transplant surgery she needs to perform. Lauren is the Head of Paeds and Paediatric Oncology and the reason I have such a flexible fellowship is because she's my wife"

"You remarried? And have a son?"

"A lot changes in a few years Iz"

"It sure does, I never thought you would settle down so soon if at all and with a kid?"

"Is it that hard to believe?" he sighed, getting slightly annoyed now "That for once I found a woman who isn't crazy, sick or leaves...twice"

"I'm sorry Alex" she sighed softly and tried to take Alex's hand but he shuffled away. "That's why I came, I wanted to apologise for everything"

"And you're only thinking of this now?" Alex growled and stood up "You're three years too late Izzie. I couldn't care less about what you want anymore"

Storming away, Alex would be happy if he never saw or spoke to his ex-wife ever again. After helping her through cancer, Alex expected more respect but just as he expected there was no way he was going to get it from Izzie. Alex made his way up to the Paeds ward to see if Christopher was ok. Just like Lauren, he got paranoid when Christopher got sick but that was just the doctor in them both.

Rounding the corner as he got to the Paeds floor, Alex saw Lauren coming out of an exam room with a chart in her hands. Alex walked straight up to his wife, took the chart from her hands and pulled her into a tight hug. Rubbing his back gently, she knew something was wrong. He got unusually affectionate when he was upset.

"How did it go?" Lauren asked as she pulled away gently

"She couldn't believe that I would actually get married after her like she was the only woman in the world" he began to rant. Watching Alex pace the width of the corridor as he continued to rant, Lauren noticed the sweat pouring off him yet he was pulling on his jacket. She tried to stop him long enough to see if he too had a fever.

"How are you feeling?"

"How am I feeling? Not that great Lauren, Izzie wanted to apologise to me for leaving me... twice!" Alex continued to rant and ran his hands through his hair roughly.

"I meant physically" Lauren insisted and put her hand to his damp forehead. Pulling away from her, Alex didn't want to think about how he was feeling physically. He was more focused on Izzie and the anger building up inside him.

"I'm fine. It's Izzie that shouldn't be fine. It took her three years to even think of apologising for what she did then she had the audacity to question my life. She never thought I would ever settle down with anyone"

"Good thing she doesn't control your life or we wouldn't be standing here"

"I'm glad I haven't seen her in all these years and if I ever see her again it'll be too much for my liking" he continued "I'm happy for the first time in my life and she can't sit there, shutup and just pretend to understand?"

"Alex stop, you need to stop" Lauren sighed and took hold of his shoulders "You are just going to make yourself sicker if you keep stressing over this. Put Izzie in the past, she doesn't matter anymore. What matters is getting you home and to bed because you're sick"

"I am not..." Alex snapped until he'd taken a deep breath and the room started to spin. He wasn't feeling the greatest that morning but he put it down to exhaustion.

"Now we know where Christopher got it"

"I made him sick?"

"And you are going to get worse if you don't calm down. Trust me, I'm a doctor" she chuckled trying to cheer him up a little "I understand that Izzie was so far out of line but it's not going to help getting all worked up about it. Izzie was 3 years ago but this; Christopher and I are right now. Focus on the now"

"Focus on the now?"

"Yes and right now you need to be in bed"

"Ok I'll go straight home Doc" he chuckled trying not to look as sick as he felt.

"There is no way you're driving. I'm taking you both home"

"But you have a surgery"

"Yang just left in the chopper to get the heart so I have about an hour before I have to be in that OR saving this kid's life. I have time"

"Are you sure?"

"Just shutup and wait here while I get Christopher" she smiled and leant Alex against the wall just so he wouldn't collapse while she got Christopher from Lucy

**Thoughts?**

**More with Izzie in the next chapter. Massive shout out and thankyou to suao for the Izzie idea. If you have an idea of where you want this fic to head or even end don't hesitate to tell me. I thrive on the challenge**


	29. Chapter 29

"Did you get your boys to bed alright?" Teddy chuckled as she scrubbed in beside Lauren in preparation for their heart transplant. She loved having Cristina to send on organ retrieval so she can work with Lauren. They hardly ever got to work on a case together now that Alex and Cristina had half their case load.

"Yes" Lauren laughed softly "I gave them both their antibiotics, set Alex up with a cup of tea and rubbed Christopher's back til he fell asleep" she smiled and scrubbed her fingernails furiously, oblivious to the door opening behind them "Washing my hands so much will be my only defence against the flu. They're boys so it will only be a matter of time before I'm sick too"

"Not if I have anything to say about it" Lucy smirked from the door causing both Lauren and Teddy to jump. With gloves on and a syringe in her hands, Lucy looked ready to cause some pain.

"Lucy I love you, which is why I need to tell you that drugs are never the answer" Lauren chuckled sarcastically. Lucy glared at her friend and stepped closer with the syringe at the ready.

"Where do you want it Shep? Roll up your sleeve or drop your pants"

"What is it you intend to inject me with?"

"Antibiotics for the flu"

"But I'm fine..."

"You seriously didn't just say that" Lucy sighed and picked up the hem of Lauren's shirt

"Uh, uh no in the arm" Lauren insisted as she tried to jerk her hips away from Lucy. She hated getting shots of any kind but at least she could tolerate it in her arm.

"You big baby" she laughed and started rolling up the sleeve of Lauren's scrub top "Got a tattoo or something you don't want us to see?"

"Grow up..."

"You do!" Teddy gasped with a laugh "Come on show us"

"Give me the shot and let me get to my surgery please Dr Fields"

"Dr Fields? So formal"

"Seriously Lucy please just do it already" Lauren sighed softly. Nodding silently, Lucy gave Lauren the injection before trashing the syringe and her gloves.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm just a little distracted"

"Izzie?"

"It just frustrates me, the position she has put Alex in. She hurt him more than anyone should be especially after what he went through with her cancer treatment. How can she come back here after nearly 3 years, apologise and expect everything to be alright?" she growled "And Alex, being who he is, started thinking this was all his fault. He started to question what happened and his decision to move on instead of holding out hope for their marriage. I don't know what to say to him"

"Your ex-wife was still at the hospital after I took you home so I kicked her ass?" Lucy chuckled "That'd make me feel better if I were him"

Ignoring that fact that her hands were scrubbed, Lauren pulled Lucy into a tight hug with a smile. She was so thankful to have friends like her that could come up with the dumbest things to say but know they were just right.

"You're going to have to re-scrub"

"I don't care"

XXXXX

"So I hear it didn't go so well with Alex" Meredith sighed softly as she and Izzie took up their seats in Lauren's OR Gallery. Izzie still hadn't finished her surgical residency down in Oregon so she still spent time watching from the galleries or assisting her Attendings. She'd been able to perform a few surgeries by herself but she was a long way off the kind of surgeries Meredith was in between at that moment. Bouncing her eleven month old daughter in her arms, Meredith took her breaks between surgeries to spend much needed time with Sophia.

"No it didn't go very well" Izzie shrugged and watched as Lauren started the transplant surgery. As a general surgery resident, Izzie loved watching and being a part of transplant surgeries and the new life an organ can give. "I knew he would be upset but I imagined it would go a little better"

"You were surprised that he was married. I can't expect a comment like that to go down well"

"I am surprised he's married and to a Paeds surgeon?"

"Izzie..."

"Before I left he said that love comes and goes but surgery doesn't. He would always have chosen surgery over love and now he's married?" Izzie sighed not wanting to think about or believe that Alex could change.

"That wasn't the last thing he said or you would never have left. There had to have been something else" Meredith insisted. She knew Izzie well enough to know that there was something she was hiding.

"He said he deserved someone who would stay" she sniffed and remembered back to the day she left. Those words would always haunt her no matter what happened. No-one forgets heartbreak like that. "He said that he realised he was good enough to deserve better"

"Oh Izzie, why didn't you tell me this?"

"Because I knew he was right I just didn't want to believe it"

Meredith rocked Sophia in her arms as she started to fuss. Unable to reply to what Izzie had just said, Meredith now understood so much more about Alex. She finally understood why he fought so hard to get Lauren back after his stint as Chief Resident. If it were any other woman he would have let her go.

"Please tell me Lauren is good to him" Izzie asked finally breaking the silence a few minutes later. Watching the Paeds surgeon down below, Izzie wanted to suss out the woman married to her ex-husband.

"I know you probably don't want to hear this but Lauren's great to him. They're..." Meredith began before re-thinking her sentence and going quiet.

"Say it Mere"

"You can't really get a better match than Alex and Lauren..."

"Really?"

"You don't need to hear this"

"No I want to" Izzie smiled weakly. She wanted to know about Lauren and if she really was good enough for Alex. It's not like she could change anything but she wanted to know that Alex was happy with this woman. "Tell me about her"

"Alex sees in Lauren everything I see in Derek if that makes any sense" Meredith chuckled awkwardly "They're as compassionate as each other, they're as determined as each other and they're definitely as stubborn as each other"

"I thought opposites were meant to attract..."

"Izzie, I can't say anything bad about Lauren. She's my sister-in-law and I don't think Sophia would be here if it wasn't for her. Yes she's stubborn and that can get annoying but she wouldn't have such a high survival rate in her surgeries or on her Paediatric Oncology Ward if she wasn't" Meredith sighed "She's an incredible doctor and she's just what Alex needed"

"They have a son?" Izzie nodded as she tried to take in everything Meredith had said. From the sound of it, Lauren was everything she wasn't.

"Christopher, he's a gorgeous little boy"

"How did they come upon the name Christopher?"

"It was Derek and Lauren's father's name"

"That's nice"

"Izzie?" Meredith asked cautiously. This was a lot for her to hear especially after she thought Alex's life would be very different.

"I'm ok" she smiled weakly "I'm glad he's found someone and settled down. I'm happy he's happy"

"You're happy he's happy?"

"What else am I meant to say? Evil Spawn Alex Karev is a husband and a father"

"He deserves to be happy..."

**Thoughts? Should Izzie stay a little longer or leave again like she's so good at?**


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay. I've had major writers block with this story. I can't tell you how many times I opened this file but couldn't write anything. I'd like to finish it up so if you have any ideas don't be afraid to let me know :) **

**Three Days Later**

"How can we have so many surgeons out today?" Chief Webber growled as he watched his scrub nurse wiped off all of Callie's surgeries and replaced them with those of other surgeons.

"Is everything ok Chief?" Lexie asked as she closed her schedule folder. As Chief Resident, she too had to be aware of what surgeons were out that day.

"No everything is not ok" he snapped "Karev is stuck in surgery after that trauma came in this morning, Torres is out sick with the flu; Bailey is in Chicago retrieving a kidney, Yang went to California last night because her stepfather broke his hip falling down the stairs and Shepherd is on her usual day o..."

"I am not here" Lauren sighed as she noticed the Chief stop mid sentence at the sight of her figure coming down the hall. With Christopher in his carrier, she was only there to get some paperwork done for a Cancer clinical trial she wanted to get off the ground. Christopher settled so much better in his carrier than he did his crib for some strange reason so it worked out perfectly for Lauren.

"You are here Dr Shepherd"

"Unless you want to talk about my clinical trial research then no I am not here"

"Robbins is running late because Torres is sick and there is no-one to take her bowel obstruction this morning" Dr Webber almost pleaded. He sounded desperate but this was her day off and she needed to get this paperwork done.

"A bowel obstruction? Can't a resident do that?" Lauren sighed "Can't Grey do it?"

"Oh no" Lexie chuckled and shook her head. She hated having to say no to her superiors but she had to stay firm "I am already doing Bailey's stomach ulcer and helping her with the transplant when she gets back"

"I have Christopher and the day care still won't take babies because of the measles outbreak they had"

"I'm sure there is a nurse that would love to take him for the time it will take you to do the surgery" The Chief suggested with a hopeful smile

"I can't just ask someone to take my son"

"Please Dr Shepherd?"

"Ugh fine" Lauren sighed and watched Dr Webber almost jump with joy. He must have been a very desperate man to get excited over a simple bowel obstruction. Lauren's oncology nurses had been begging her to bring Christopher up to see them so now was their chance to gawk over him all they wanted. Taking him up to her oncology ward, Lauren found plenty of nurses happy to look after Christopher.

XXXXX

Alex pulled off his superheroes scrub cap and stuffed it into his pocket as he walked up to the nurses' station of the Paeds oncology ward. He was checking on a patient Lauren asked him to see earlier that morning. Looking up from his patient's chart, Alex noticed his son behind the desk in his carrier.

"Uh why is my son here?"

"We hired him to help out around the ward" Nurse Sarah smirked as she filed her paperwork "He's a doctor in the making"

"Funny..."

"Lauren is doing a bowel obstruction for Dr Robbins because she was running late" she sighed. Alex could usually take a joke but he was too tired "I was just about to give Christopher a bottle"

"I'll do it if you'd like" Alex smiled "I slacked off this morning before I was called in for a trauma"

"You'll have to find somewhere else to warm up the milk" Sarah sighed and handed Alex Christopher's diaper bag and the carrier "Our microwave broke a month ago and Webber still hasn't done anything about it"

"I will definitely make sure that you girls get your microwave" he chuckled "Thanks again for looking after him"

"Anytime, he's an angel"

Alex looked down at his giggling son he shook his head with a chuckle "Yeah he knows"

Taking Christopher down to the Attendings Lounge, he knew the microwave in there worked for what he needed. Setting the carrier down on the table, Alex only realised someone else was in the room until he heard them shift on the couch.

"Hey" Izzie smiled weakly. It was her last day in Seattle before she had to get back and she was just waiting for Meredith to get out of surgery. She wanted one last moment with her friend because she didn't know when she would be back if she would ever come back.

"I thought you went home"

"I went to see my Mom; I wanted to see Meredith again before I went back to work"

"Did you enjoy Lauren's transplant surgery the other day? She told me you were in her Gallery" he sighed and started pulling out Christopher's bottle. Her presence wasn't going to stop him from caring for his son. It was also keeping him calm so he wouldn't lash out at Izzie.

"She's a very talented surgeon. I thought she was going to lose the kid for a moment" Izzie admitted as she played with a loose thread on her cardigan. She didn't want to think that Lauren was good but she saved that kid's life when he was flat-lined.

"I know she's talented"

"Meredith said she's Head of Paeds and Paeds Oncology. She must be good"

"She is" Alex nodded as he put Christopher's milk into the microwave and leant on the table while it warmed up. "Her talent is the reason why I fell in love with her"

The pair was silent until the beeping of the microwave broke the silence. Testing the milk and fixing the bottle, Alex pulled Christopher from his carrier and held him as he drank the milk. He sat down on the opposite side of the room to Izzie and quietly fed his son.

"I never would have pegged you to be good with kids" Izzie chuckled as she watched Alex with his son. She couldn't believe how quiet and calm that baby was in Alex's arms.

"Christopher is good with just about everyone. It's a fluke with all the others"

"I'm sure it's not a fluke"

"We don't have to make nice y'know" Alex sighed softly "I know you don't want to hear about Lauren and you probably don't care about my work"

"I do care about your work. Paeds fellowships are the hardest to come by and you got one. I'm so proud of you" Izzie smiled and shifted in her seat wanting to move closer to Alex but quickly decided against it. "I'm not comfortable when I hear about how amazing Lauren is because I still have feelings for you Alex. I will always have feelings for you but you are married with a child and you're happy. You've probably been happy since the day I left"

Thankful Christopher hadn't finished his bottle; Alex so desperately wanted to react to what Izzie had just said. "I was a mess when you left" Alex growled softly "I slept around, I was a jerk and I got shot. I cried for you when I thought I was dying but of course you weren't there" he sighed and saw Izzie's face fall. "When Lauren got to Seattle she gave me hope. She reminded me that I deserved better and no matter what I did to screw it up, she was there. She's my best friend"

"I'm happy you found the right person for you"

"You're not happy I found Lauren because you wish I still had feelings for you too" he sighed softly "I loved you Izzie and you'll always have a place in my heart but Lauren and Christopher are my life and that's never going to change"

"You said that about me once upon a time..."

"Once upon a time is only for the fairytales. Reality is a whole other ball game"

Izzie contemplated what Alex had just said for a moment before picking up her bag and standing up "It was good seeing you again. I..." she began before deciding against finishing that sentence. Alex watched the blonde leave and he knew they would never see each other again.

The only thing that brought him back from watching the door was his son fussing in his arms. Setting the bottle down now that Christopher was finished, Alex brought his son to his shoulder to burp him. Having this little boy in his arms was his life now and he was happy. He had evolved from the Alex Izzie knew and had feelings for. That wasn't who he was anymore.

**Thoughts? So Izzie is gone. I'm stumped as to how to end this story. Ideas?**


	31. Chapter 31

"Why is it I always find you two curled up in a comfy chair together?" Lauren laughed as she collapsed onto the couch in the Attendings Lounge beside her husband and snoozing son. After his bottle, Alex gently rocked Christopher to sleep and neither of them had moved since. Alex moved to hand Christopher to Lauren but she didn't want to wake him so the young Paeds fellow relaxed back into the couch.

"How was surgery?"

"What child in their right mind swallows their sister's mp3 player?" she sighed and rested her head on Alex's shoulder "I know today was my day off and I'm sorry but the Chief was desperate"

"You're a junkie"

"I had every intention to do work on my clinical trial today and Christopher settles in my office better than he does at home"

"He's destined to be a surgeon" Alex chuckled softly. Any kid who was happy in a hospital was meant to devote their lives to that place. "Maybe he'll be a Neurosurgeon or a Cardio Surgeon..."

"What about Paediatric Surgery? He's already got it in his genes"

"No kid wants to do what their parents do for a living"

"And what makes you so sure Christopher wants to be a surgeon at all?" Lauren smiled and rubbed her son's tiny foot gently. By the way he kicked through her pregnancy; Lauren thought his destiny was to be lived out on a soccer field "What if he wants to play soccer or baseball or be a lawyer or a mechanic?"

"As long as he's happy and he makes enough money to support us when we retire" he laughed

"Now if he had brothers and sisters then he wouldn't have to fork out as much when we retire..."

"He's getting brothers and sisters?"

"Not right now but eventually"

"How soon is eventually?" Alex asked with a slight smile "I saw the adoption applications on the dresser the other day"

"It takes months, even years to get through the system" she began her defence softly as she sat up "I just wanted to maybe put the applications in and see what could happen. You always said adoption would be an option for us whether we could have kids or not"

"Do you not want to have more kids with me? Give Chris a biological brother or sister?"

"Of course I do but the risks are so much higher now. Lucy said that the risks of me haemorrhaging are doubled if I have another baby not to mention the risks because of my age" Lauren sighed and took Christopher from Alex's arms as he started to stir. "I'm not 29 like you anymore, I'm 36 and past my prime"

"You are not past your prime, you're beautiful"

"I'm past my child bearing prime. I don't know if I want to risk what happened with Christopher. I couldn't risk something going wrong"

"I don't want to risk losing you again" Alex sighed and kissed her forehead softly. Remembering back to when their now three month old son was born, the ache at the pit of Alex's stomach flared up once again. He never wanted to experience the fear of losing Lauren like he did when he waited for her to wake up.

"You're never going to lose me" she smiled and snuggled close to his side. Alex wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders and held her close as he noticed Christopher settle once again.

"So these adoption applications..."

"We don't have to adopt a child til we know we're ready. It will be a year or more in the future"

"Yes, can we wait til we're confident as parents and Christopher is at least walking?"

"We can wait til he's walking and talking"

"Does he at least get an opinion on this adoption?" Alex laughed softly and rubbed his son's back gently as he snoozed.

"Do you really think he'll object to being a big brother? I don't know about you with Aaron and Amber but I'd be lost without Amelia. She's my best friend"

"But just one, maybe two. Four kids is just too much"

"Two or three it is"

"But for now can we just go home? We need to see more than the inside of this damn hospital"

"Sounds good to me. I'm exhausted"

"You're beautiful" Alex smiled and kissed Lauren's cheek gently before she stood up. Picking up Christopher's diaper bag and his carrier, Lauren watched Alex get up slowly so he didn't wake their son.

"For what it's worth Alex, Izzie was an idiot to ever let you go"

**I am SO SORRY for the huge delay of this final chapter. I just didn't know how to finish it and I figured something cute would work :)**

**Hope you enjoyed the story. Don't be afraid to check out my other stories, you've all been amazing readers!**


End file.
